#Crash repairs in hope valley

[plazacrashrepairs]

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[plazacrash]

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[violetlunette]

The Secret of the Tower

Summary: Malleus has a grandson who is curious about what his grandfather has hidden in the tall tower.

Mallow climbed the winding steps of the forbidden tower, cloaked in shadows from the sun outside.

The tiny dragon prince knew he wasn’t supposed to be here, but his curiosity had gotten the best of him.

What was his grandfather hiding within this old tower? Why did he come here every night? Was it a magic mirror that could see all? Enchanted slippers that led one to their dreams? A powerful lamp that grants wishes? A rose that counted down a kingdom’s final fate? The possibilities were endless!

Still, it wasn’t easy, even for someone like him who carried dragon blood within him. The tower was tall, reaching past the clouds. The steps were thin and close to the wall, meaning every step had to count.

‘If only I could teleport like grandfather,’ the little boy thought, huffing and puffing with every step. Flying would be nice, too. Alas, he didn’t have them. (Though he had hope for the future.)

Therefore, if young Mallow wanted to know the secret his grandfather kept closely guarded, he would have to do it the old-fashioned way—through tenacity.

Had Mallow the observation skills and knowledge, he would have noted that the stones seemed to have been repaired, mended, and even replaced in some spots.

The tower had been around for several thousand years, becoming a known sight in Briar Valley. Often, the roof, shaped like a spindle, was the first sight anyone saw while traveling. (Once, there was a threat of planes crashing into it until Mallow’s grandfather cast a spell to protect it.)

Many rumors and tales surrounded the tower, but no one knew the truth. Hence, Mallow was determined to be the first.

Finally, his efforts were rewarded, as Mallow, at long last, reached the top.

“Huff...huff! Finally! Puff…” Mallow’s face brightened even as he wheezed, delighted that it seemed his efforts would pay off.

Taking a moment to regain himself, Mallow hurried to the thick oak door decorated in gold vines and roses. When he touched it, the roses on the door momentarily glowed red. However, the boy missed them as he was already pulling the door open.

He was met with a room brightly lit by the setting sun outside the large, round windows. In the room was a collection of strange objects that reminded Mallow of something his mother would bring from her travels. There was a training sword hung on the wall with a baton.

However, the main draw was the four-poster bed in the center.

Blue curtains danced in the breeze as if to beacon the young prince forward. Mallow gulped but approached, his curiosity needing to be sated. He hesitated and swallowed once more as he stood at the end of the bed, anxious to see what he might find. Then—he pulled the curtain back.

Mallow’s breath caught in his throat, and his gaze grew.

Lying in a peaceful sleep was a young man with hair that shone like moonlight. His fair skin had a luminescent glow, making the teen appear ethereal. His expression was peaceful as if he were lost in a dream.

Mallow stumbled back in surprise but regained himself through pride.

“Hey...Hey! Who are you?” he demanded loudly. When the teen didn’t stir, Mallow became annoyed. 

Mallow Draconia was a prince! How dare this mere human ignore him and continue to sleep?

“HEY! Wake up! I asked you a question, human!” There was still no response from the sleeping beauty.

Mallow’s cheeks puffed. As a prince and one constantly adored by his family, the young child was not used to being unheeded by others, who often jumped at his word. His shoulders hunched up as his pudgy hands curled into balls. He then stomped, stomped his feet.

He bellowed, “HEY! Do you know who I am?”

He tugged on the blue sheets decorated in gold, demanding the attention he was entitled to as a prince and an adorable child.

Yet, no amount of yelling or whining made the human stir. The only movement from the other was the silver bangs that fluttered slightly in the wind and—if Mallow cared to look close enough—the faint rise and fall of his chest.

Grr…!

Mallow’s soft brow wrinkled in annoyance as tiny green flames blew out his flared nostrils, the corners of his mouth sinking lower. The short fuse of his patience was slowly meeting its end.

“Hey! If you don’t answer me, I’ll set you on fire--”

“He cannot hear you.”

Mallow jumped at the familiar voice. He turned, eyes wide.

“Gr—grandfather?!”

King Malleus stepped from the doorway, his heels softly clicking against the marble floor as he dragged his cloak behind him.

Although Mallow called him grandfather, he did not look it. Rather, he appeared to be a young man, only a touch older than the one sleeping in the center.

His bright green gaze flicked to Mallow’s golden eyes, specks of Malleus’ emerald flame in them. His face became stern.

“Mallow. What are you doing here?” The little boy, subconsciously knowing he was protected by the fact that he was the baby of the family and therefore had no fear of harm, shrugged.

“I wanted to see what was here,” he said as he trotted over. He tugged at his grandfather’s robes. “Grandfather! That human isn’t paying me any respect!” Malleus closed his eyes, sighing in exasperation.

“This is a private place, Mallow,” the king told the baby prince, ignoring the complaint.

“But I wanted to see!” Malleus made a face.

“Your curiosity doesn’t excuse everything you do, Mallow." Even so, he lifted Mallow into his arms and held his grandson close. Any sense of annoyance he had with the boy vanished and was replaced with a warmth that flowed like a stream through the old dragon. Malleus would leave any scolding to be had to his daughter, he decided. It was his right as a grandfather to do so, after all.

After shifting a bit, Mallow peeked over back at the human.

“Who is that?” he asked, desiring to know who would dare to sleep in his presence.

As he looked at the form, Malleus’ content expression fell away, replacing it with regret.

“...That was my first knight and dear friend,” he stated, closing his eyes. “His father hatched and raised me from my egg alongside my own grandmother after my parents died.

“Then, years later, he found Silver and raised him as well.”

“Silver?” Mallow interrupted with a blink. “The one grandpa’s grandpa used to tell us about?” Malleus nodded, trying to keep the somberness down as he recalled the passing of his other knight, Sebek, centuries prior.

“Yes. This is he.” Malleus motioned to the sleeping figure.

Mallow’s face lit with intrigue. The young prince recalled the tales told to him of the Silver Knight, though there weren’t many. (Most of the tales he heard were of his ancestor Sebek and the bat warrior, Lilia, whom his mother was named.)

His head tilted.

“Why is he here?” The question brought shame to Malleus, who hid it well with centuries of practice.

“There...an accident occurred,” he stated after several long minutes. “Silver managed to save myself and everyone involved, but he—he never woke up. He couldn’t.”

“Couldn’t you wake him up?” Mallow said, not believing the possibility that his grandfather couldn’t. Malleus was the most powerful magician in the world, after all. The thought of him NOT being able to do something seemed impossible.

Malleus’ eyes closed before he shook his head.

“I’ve tried,” he said, pain seeping into his voice. “We all did. Lilia, his father, spent the rest of his life trying to find a way. But unfortunately…” The king trailed off, as there were no words he could find to explain his failures to the child.

Mallow glanced back at the sleeping knight, undisturbed by time. He shifted, knowing something was wrong but not understanding what.

“How long has he been asleep?” he asked, hoping asking questions would make the yucky feeling forming go away. Malleus sighed at the endless curiosity of children.

“At least...ten thousand years now,” he said, furrowing his brow, trying to recall if that was correct. Mallow’s eyes widen.

“Wow! That’s basically forever, huh?” The smile Malleus wore was hollow.

“You have no idea.” With that, the king shifted his grandson in his arms.

“Come now,” he said softly. “Lily is wondering where you wandered off to.” Mallow squeaked as Malleus turned.

“But! Grandfather,” he whined. “What about Silver? Will he ever wake up?” The Dragon King looked his age at this question.

“…I have no idea,” he admitted honestly. He hugged Mallow tighter to him. “But I have hope that maybe one day he will.” Then, with a half-hearted glance over his shoulder, he left.

[sensei-venus]

Poly! Car Dealership!Daniel & Mechanic!Johnny/ Baker!Chubby!Reader

(Unedited) (Johnny and Daniel are in their mid 20s, Daniel works at the dealership that he would later buy & turn into his own, Johnny got into handwork but ended up going into mechanics, their dating but on the low.)



🔧🚗 Reader wanted to cry when she found out the news regarding her van. The poor thing had been totaled by accident in a repair yard. A week prior the engine had stalled after a delivery so she brought it in to get it looked at. The mechanic told her it would be a simple fix and to come back in a week. She was able to find a quick replacement for that week but wouldn’t be able to use it for long. A week later she showed up to retrieve the vehicle only to find out that it had been hit while in the lot, and crushed after being deemed total.

🔧🚗She felt like her whole world was crashing down in that moment. Although the repair shop said they would cover her new van, it still felt like so much. She had no idea where to go to get a new van. There where dozens of places around town but she still had a budget. It took her a day or two but she finally narrowed it down to a new car dealership near her job. Luckily they sold used cars as well on the lot and not just brand new ones. She spotted a few vans while passing the place a few times and finally decided to stop in.

🔧🚗 At first she thought she knew what she was looking for. A simple van with a good ac that could transport her goodies on delivery’s. The van was only used to deliver the food from her job at her parents bakery. She loved working at the bakery because she loved baking, she wondered if it was something in her blood maybe. As of recently she was doing a lot of deliveries for her parents so she was the one mainly using the van.



Reader chewed on her bottom lip as she looked around the huge car lot. She was wandering around the multiple aisles of the dealership for a few hours. Looking over every single used van she came across. Most of them looked nice in her opinion but she had to admit she didn't know much about cars in general.

She scanned one of the vans windshields for a moment, pressing herself up against the hood of the van.

“Do you need some help miss?” Reader jerked for a moment and spun around. With a hand on her chest, she looked at the guy standing behind her. Her cheeks were suddenly warm as she looked at the guy who was on the verge of laughing at her. He was a little bit on the shorter side for a guy, with nicely tanned skin, ever so slightly curled black hair, and dark brown eyes. His lips curled in a genuine smile. With a small breath she said “Oh uh yes! I was looking to get a van? A used one? I see you have a few but I admit that I don't know much about them.” he smiledas nodded at her.

“Well, I'm Daniel, Daniel LaRusso, and I'm the lot manager. I can tell you just about anything you want to know about these babies. Ask me anything you want. Are you looking for anything potential, besides it being used of course.” he smirked as he looked over the van behind her.

She quickly explained her situation. He showed her around the lot and went over some of the vehicles. He wasn't lying when he said he knew a lot about the vans, he spurted out random facts about every model they came across. He told her the mileage, background, and past issues with every van.

They also did a little chit-chat as they walked around.

Reader was starting to quickly fall for the guy's accent.

“So Daniel where are you from? You have an accent.”

“Oh yeah, I get that a lot, I was raised in New York, and moved here a few years ago during high school. I actually graduated from West Valley. Even after being here the accent hasn't gone anywhere.”

Reader felt herself flush a little.

“No, it's cute. It suits you really well.”

In that moment she couldn't bring herself to look over at him as they walked next to each other. She looked off in the opposite direction hoping he didn't notice her flustered appearance. But he did and definitely thought it was cute. Both of them where adults and she was blushing over him like a little teenager. The urge to chuckle bubbles up into his chest but he digresses.

After what seemed like for ever they find the perfect van for her. A large rear with no back seats and a great ac. Reader was in awe as she looked around the inside of the vehicle. It was perfect! Looking around she couldn’t even tell it was pre owned. The title was clean with no record and low miles, all of it seemed to check out. With little to no effort Daniel talked her into buying the van right out.

Daniel was quick to let her test drive the van to let her get a feel for it. They drove around the block for a few minutes before driving back to the dealership. Daniel told her to drive it up to the back of the lot where the repair center was located. She was quick to question how cool it was that they had on staff mechanics on the lot. Daniel grinned as he explained that he was able to make a deal with the dealership owner in a meeting to start a mechanic program. They would bring in fresh students from a local college for work experience while getting paid from the school for credit hours. It sounded like a smart move to Reader, Daniel grinned even more at the praise.

The two of them got out of the car after Reader pulled into the open garage.

There wasn’t even a moment to spare as both of them where cut off.

“LaRusso out in the yard today? Must be a hot day in hell.” A deep voice came from around the side of the van. Johnny comes out from behind the van, wiping grease stained hands on his jumpsuit. Thick blank oil seeps though the dark green fabric. His hands only and on fingerless gloves that where bathed in the liquid.

“Yes Johnny it is so out of my nature to not show my face around your gross garbage.”

“Yeah we don’t want to get that cheap ass suit all messed up, do we? You should stay in that cold ac filled building away from the actual hard work.”

It was pretty clear that the two had a bit of a rivalry going on. Reader giggled a little bringing the two men to stop their insult filled bickering . Both of them looked at her and Johnny just smirked, looking her over. His eyes scanning over her thigh thighs and fluffy belly, tits that threatened to spill out of her tight tshirt. He licked his lips and sucked in his teeth as she looked her on the face.

“Johnny this is Reader, Reader this is Johnny. He’s one of our head mechanics. We also went to school together.”

“Yeah well you also kicked me in the face during a karate tournament too, don’t forget that one.”

“Yeah and I’m not going to forget the chance that you and your goons beat me up- you know what let’s not start this Johnny. I just need you to do the last report on this van. Reader wants to buy it flat out but I need the sale report before we release it.” He huffs as he pulls out some of his papers and hands them to Johnny. He grimaces as Johnny’s oil covered fingers rip the clipboard with the papers out of his hand. He looks it over before throwing it into a near by work bench.

“I can have it done by tomorrow.~” he looks back over to Reader who is now busy looking around the garage. His eyes going straight to her ass as she walks around.

Daniel let’s a small smirk cross his lips as he follows Johnny’s gaze. His eyes landing on her fat ass as well.

“I think we could arrange a in person pick up for later tomorrow.” He walks a little closer to Johnny and whispers into his ear.

“If you can try and keep that dick in your pants until I can figure out a way to ask her out.”



[fannish-jam]

Apparently, there was a concept of a rival farmer to the player in early development, but ConcernedApe thought it was going to make the game more stressful (as if going to the Skull Caverns isn't stressful enough /j)

This is partially canon to my current farmer, Andrea.

Y'see, Andrea's grandpa was a beloved man in Pelican Town. If a neighbor needed a hand with repairs he was there with extra materials. A friend needed fresh eggs, but had no time to go to the store or had no chickens, Grandpa had a dozen ready just in case. His hens laid a lot of eggs anyways, and it would be a shame to let them go bad. Lewis needed help mending a few things of clothes? Grandpa had it covered.

Something about Grandpa's farm was special, as the chickens and singular goose were always satisfied and happy and their eggs were irresistible. Their yolk was the richest, most vibrant hue of orange that bordered on red. Townies had a preference for them and praised his efforts, setting them apart from the Ranch south from his farm.

This ranch belonged to a family of farmers that were in Pelican Town for generations. They did a little bit of everything; they reared cows, goats, and sheep and had their own flock of chickens. In their eyes, Grandpa moving in and getting the town's favour began a pretty fierce rivalry. When the Stardew Valley fair was still a new concept, they butted heads over their produce and stock, even if young Marnie though it was ludicrous. Grandpa never let his new status as star farmer get to his head, and he was more than eager to share the fruits of his labour with people. Why was her family so insistent on competing with him? Pelican Town is barely a village.

Years passed. Grandpa passed away, most of Marnie's family either moved away or passed while Pelican Town's population dwindled down. Marnie remained at the ranch, becoming the defacto person for homemade animal produce. She didn't really mind it. Hell, it was nice to give things out to others without making it a competition for once! It meant she had more time to worry about other things, such as caring for Jas and letting Shane crash at hers for a little while.

When Andrea moved in, rumors spread that she was the granddaughter of the man who nearly split the Valley into two teams over produce. But Marnie kept her hopes high, and met the farmer moving onto the big plot of land north of her. Turns out, that despite her uncertainty about her new life, Andrea was farm from being selfish and over-confident. Her Grandpa's kindness and goodwill shines through her actions, even if she has an attitude sometimes.

Turns out that silly family feuds shouldn't matter too much in making new friends.

[whistlingstarlight]

Would you like to ramble about Pikmin? I've been kind of curious about it ngl (you're free to tell me anything and everything you'd like; I don't have something specific I want to know about)

OKAY LADS BUCKLE UP

Welcome to my TED Talk on why I love Pikmin so fucking much and I think everyone should give it a try, or at the very least watch Let's Plays (I will very happily provide links to my favourite LPs if requested).

So Pikmin 1 focuses on Captain Olimar, a freight worker from the planet Hocotate who crashes onto an uncharted planet whilst on vacation. He meets little half-plant, half-animal creatures he names Pikmin (after his favourite carrot brand, the pikpik). His ship has been destroyed, but with the help of the pikmin he's able to repair his ship.

Pikmin 2 picks up right after Olimar gets back to Hocotate. His company is in debt, and after a souvenir he brought home is deemed profitable Olimar's boss sends him (and a selectively mute employee named Louie, to return to the planet to collect enough treasures to repay the company debt. Spoiler-heavy Hijinks ensue.

Pikmin 3 goes in a completely different direction, following new protagonists from the planet Koppai: Captain Charlie, botanist Brittany, and engineer Alph. Their home planet is overpopulated and starving, but food has been located on the uncharted planet (dubbed PNF-404, and it's their job to bring seeds home to restore food supplies.

Pikmin 4 is... a soft reboot, which I'm unsure if I like or not. Following Olimar's first crash landing, his distress signal was received by the galactic Rescue Corps who set out to rescue him. And like every previous ship to land on the planet... they crash. For the first time you create your own character, and it's their job to rescue both Olimar and the rescue corps.

And throughout all of this, you are teeny tiny! The Hocotatians, Koppaites and all other planetary explorers are only a few inches tall, giving you a completely new perspective of Earth. Because yes! This uncharted planet is Earth!

Each Pikmin game introduces new varieties of pikmin, creatures, and beautiful environments. Throughout all the games you travel through forests, gardens, puddles and snowdrifts. The series starts off with a feeling of complete isolation and loneliness, but over time as you steadily visit the planet with more crewmates that sense of loneliness decreases, but the planet still feels dangerous and hostile.

The music in this series is amazing too, ranging from peaceful overworld themes to tense boss battles. Even if you don't decide to play any of the games or watch a Let's Play, I recommend listening to tracks from the series. These in particular are some of my favourites:

The Forest of Hope - Pikmin 1

The Valley of Repose - Pikmin 2

The Wistful Wild - Pikmin 2

Garden of Hope - Pikmin 3

Distant Tundra - Pikmin 3

Blossoming Arcadia - Pikmin 4

Serene Shores - Pikmin 4

Dandori Battle - Pikmin 4

And whilst not necessarily my favourite tracks, the Boss Battle from 3 and Groovy Long Legs from 4 are great examples of adaptive music if that's your thing!

[knickynoo]

Back to the Future: The Animated Series, s01ep10 "Dickens of a Christmas" Review and Commentary

Previous episodes linked HERE

In this episode: A family-togetherness trip leads to prison, pickpocketing, and other fun shenanigans in 1845 London.

We open with Doc doing some work on the DeLorean.

He's frustrated with all the repairs and admits that he sometimes wishes the car had never been invented but that without it, he wouldn't be able to travel back to times before it was invented. This leads him to reminisce about a trip he took with his family one very hot summer day...

Into the cartoon we go! I will point out that we do not see Doc's face at all during this opening live-action portion, which is a bummer. I hope we get to see him at the end.

(I don't think I've previously mentioned that I write these posts as I watch through the episodes—pausing every few minutes to type up anything notable—so you're getting the complete journey here as I take it all in. I did watch the first season a couple of years ago, but I do not remember any of it because my brain decided the experience wasn't worth holding onto and dumped it immediately.)

Let's get back on track. It is a blistering hot day in Hill Valley. The flowers are all wilting, the thermometer on the wall explodes because it's hotter than the device can even register, and everyone is growing cranky. Doc is attempting to install a high-tech air conditioner-type thing he's invented in order to make it more bearable.

Outside, Marty is making his way down the street to the Brown farm. He's ditched the jeans and letterman jacket in favor of more "summery" attire, and is already making poor decisions by not only once again riding his hoverboard in public but projecting a movie in front of him as well.

For someone as prone to falling and who is as easily distracted as Marty is, I don't think this particular decision is a wise one. But that's cartoon Marty for ya.

He does end up crashing, by the way. He fails to see Einstein in the yard, runs into him (Einie is fine) and the two of them smash straight through the front door of the house. He wrecks the kitchen and knocks everybody over. With everyone's nerves already on edge due to the extreme heat, Marty's violent entrance proves to be the last straw, and they all start angrily shouting at each other.

Listen. I don't like to see them all screaming at each other, but. I kind of don't blame them? It's a million degrees outside and also Marty literally broke their kitchen table in half. I think Doc can shout at him a little bit for that. As a treat.

Bonus side-tangent! Can I point out how tiny Marty and Clara look in this shot?? First of all, Clara is not as short as Marty is, so that's automatically off. But also, compare them to Doc. He's actually wearing shoes with like...springs on them or something? That adds to his height, BUT he's also leaning forward a lot, so it mostly evens out. Without the shoes and while standing with better posture, Clara would come up to what—Doc's shoulder, just about? (I'm not factoring in her poofy hair) Something is very off proportions-wise. Take a look, then, at a shot from the very next scene.

I dunno. Someone dropped the ball here. Side tangent over. Can you tell I'm having fun watching this silly show?

Once Doc calms them all down, Clara notes that it's the heat making them so irritable, saying, "Maybe if it wasn't hot as the Dickens..."

This gives Doc an idea, and he decides that a family vacation to somewhere cooler is in order. Doc, Clara, Jules, Verne, Marty, and Einie all manage to pile into the DeLorean somehow and travel to 1845 London just before Christmas. Upon arriving, Doc entrusts Jules to hold onto the DeLorean's key, which means it will get stolen or go missing like immediately.

While admiring the view with Doc and Clara, Marty falls off of a building because he gets distracted staring at a girl.

There he goes. I guess he didn't learn his lesson about flirting with other girls after the whole thing with Mercy Tannen and being tried for witchcraft. Marty's brain does not retain those valuable life lessons for very long.

After safely landing in a pile of snow, Marty follows the girl into a nearby toy store to chat her up and gets promptly slapped across the face. Doc and Clara also go into the store because Doc is enamored with figurines of Dr. Frankenstein and the monster, which he evidently had a toy similar to as a child. While Jules and Verne wait outside, a pickpocket comes by and steals the key to the DeLorean. Jules and Verne take off after the thief, and Doc, Marty, and Einie see the commotion and go after the boys. Clara is left at the store, and Ebiffnezer Tannen soon enters. He's angry that the shopkeepers are late on their mortgage payment (by one whole hour) and throws them into debtor's prison. Clara is also thrown into prison after she rebuffs Ebiffnezer's advances.

Side note: this is the second time so far in the series that a Tannen descendant has flirted with and tried to win Clara's heart—through very unsavory means. The prior instance also took place in England (Lord Biffingham, who had captured both Clara and Lady Jennivere).

After unsuccessfully trying to locate the boys and discovering that Clara has been arrested, Doc and Marty decide to split up. This shows just how desperate Doc is because he should know by now that nothing good has ever come from leaving Marty to his own devices. We go then to the prison, which has a whole gigantic wing built onto it just for all the people Ebiffnezer has thrown in there.

After being tossed into a room with like 40 other people, Clara asks an elderly man if he's been there long. The man replies, "When I first come to this prison, I was wrinkled, I had no teeth and drooled a lot. I was a baby!" As you may imagine, Clara is not encouraged by this response. I however, think this is one of the funniest lines of the episode so far. This man was put into prison when he was a BABY because he somehow wronged a member of the Tannen family.

Here are all the people crammed into one of the cells in the Tannen wing of the prison.

Meanwhile, at the town square, Jules and Verne have been captured by the pickpocket leader and are being forced to learn how to steal things. While they're trying to go along with it until they can get the keys back, Marty is off having his own little adventure trying to get Clara sprung from prison.

Using the hoverboard, he makes a visit outside Ebiffnezer's window, posing as the Ghost of Christmas.

Ebiffnezer's terror abates just long enough to ask, "Past, present, or future?" to which Marty replies, "Uh, all of the above." He tells Ebiffnezer that he's there to save his soul and yanks him out the window and into the night. Their first stop is a workhouse, where children are slaving away. Ebiffnezer starts crying, and Marty is hopeful that he's already having a change of heart. But it turns out that Ebiffnezer is just upset because it reminds him that there's an 8-year-old who owes him money.

Jules and Verne, however, are having more success in their mission after having gained the trust of the young pickpocket who had stolen the keys in the first place. They tell him that if he can help get the keys back from Murdock, they can help him escape and find a better life. They get the keys and all make a break for it (along with Doc who had caught up to the boys).

Marty's next stop on his journey is to show Ebiffnezer another sad sight—a homeless family roasting their Christmas dinner of a few chestnuts over a fire. Instead of being moved by compassion for the family, Ebiffnezer attacks them because he's hungry and wants their food.

Marty angrily flies himself and Ebiffnezer back to the house, declaring that he gives up. As he's complaining, his projector device from earlier in the episode falls out of his pocket and starts playing a Godzilla movie. Ebiffnezer is horrified by the images, and Marty takes the opportunity to tell him that the destruction he sees is the result of people living wicked lives. Ebiffnezer immediately promises that he'll change and free everybody from the prison. The next morning, he's found singing and dancing in the street with a Christmas wreath around his neck.

And I can't help but wonder what the implications would be, if any, to the Tannen lineage, given that Ebiffnezer has such a drastic change of character and goes from wicked and cruel to kind and generous. But alas, the cartoon doesn't care about these things.

Okay, wait, hang on. In the scene that immediately follows, Ebiffnezer sees Marty in the toy shop and recognizes him as the "ghost," which makes him enraged and mean again, so...I guess that whole change of heart is undone pretty much right away. At least he's already freed all the prisoners by that point. Anyway, Clara is reunited with her family, and everything turns out okay.

Also, here is a screenshot of them all crammed into the DeLorean on the way home, which I still do not think would be possible.

End of cartoon portion! Back to Real Doc, who is still under the car and doing repairs. At one point, he reaches for a donut with his grimy, disgustingly dirty hand, which upsets me.

He also ends up dipping the donut into the can of motor oil instead of his coffee. Serves you right, Doc.

And that's basically it for this episode. It's a fun one, but I think there was too much going on. There was the plot with the pickpockets, the Clara in prison plot, and the Marty and Ebiffnezer one. It just felt disjointed and made it hard to write about. But Thomas Wilson's voice-acting as Ebiffnezer makes the whole thing worth it.

Join me next week as we travel to 1926 and meet FOUR-YEAR-OLD DOC!!

[wkil-109-fmx-radio]

[Zone Info]

Events:

Helium I - Fought between 1993 and 1998 when tensions between governments around the world finally turned to war. Nuclear warfare wiped out Northern-Middle Eurasia, most of South America, South-Eastern North America, and Southern Africa. The war ended when what was left of Europe and Asia surrendered.

The Rise of Better Living Industries - BL/ind started as a weapons manufacturing/power company that rose into a major monopoly and self-governing body that overthrew the US toward the end of the first Helium War. It immediately began an effort to bring “peace” to the nation by ridding the country of all individualism and “radical” beliefs, believing that different ideas would turn into conflict. This quickly turned into ridding the country of creativity and self-expression to make a perfect, crime-free society.

Helium II - Fought between 2006 and 2011 when Better Living Industries had taken control of what was left of North and South America and began attacking the rest of the world, trying to rid the planet of ideas that didn’t match theirs. The East Coast started rebelling against the West Coast, where BL/ind had established their capital in what was once Los Angeles but had been renamed Battery City. A wall of nuclear bombs was dropped around the Rocky Mountains and thanks to the radiation around the globe affecting the radio waves, no one knows for sure whether there is anyone else living on the planet outside of Battery City and its surrounding Zones.

The Rise of the Rebels - Since the very beginning of Better Living Industries’ reign, rebels had appeared. When Battery City was established as BL/ind’s capital city, settlements started popping up in the desert outside of the city. On the East Coast of North America, a massive rebellion effort was led against BL/ind during the second Helium War. As the years passed, more rebels started appearing in Battery City and moving to the desert, eventually renamed The Zones, especially after BL/ind seemed to have destroyed the East Coast rebels. Rebels in the Zones became known as Killjoys and rebels in the city became known as Juvie Halls. Rebels began attacking Better Living Industries factories and facilities, hoping to weaken the company but only resulting in angering BL/ind.

The Fires of 2012 - From April till August of 2012, Better Living Industries began lighting fires across the Zones in an attempt to destroy the Killjoys, as they had grown out of BL/ind’s control. The Fires got out of control and ended up spreading to some Better Living Industries camps and buildings that were still stationed in the Zones. As a result, BL/ind blamed the rebels for the Fires and denied any claims of the truth. The blame being placed on the rebels sparked the start of the Analog Wars.

The Analog Wars - Fought between 2012 and 2017 or, to some, from 2012 to the present. The Analog War wasn’t your usual war; it was mostly small battles in the Zones or sabotage of BL/ind or rebel facilities. Better Living Industries describes it as “an effort to suppress the rebels and their radical and dangerous ideals.” During the war, BL/ind established the Draculoid and S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W units.

The Pig Bombs of 2017 - On July 4, 2017, Better Living Industries dropped a series of bombs in Zone 8 to destroy the Killjoy farming communities that were settled there. BL/ind had previously withheld using nuclear weapons in the Zones because they didn’t want the radiation destroying Battery City so they settled for dropping them in Zone 8, although they ended up also destroying several important Better Living Industries facilities in the process. The bombs wiped Zones 7, 8, and 9 off the map, left some places in Zone 6 uninhabitable, and created a wall of radiation around the Zones and Battery City, trapping them and isolating them from the rest of the world. This marked the end of the Analog Wars, although some believe that since there was no official surrender or treaty, the war is still going on.

Places:

Battery City - The capital of whatever is left of the US that Better Living Industries can control. In Battery City, the citizens are required to take “Happy Pills.” In the city, BL/ind controls the weather, the way people dress, where kids go to school, and where adults work. Every citizen has a set routine, sent to them in the morning along with their medication. In the center of Battery City is the Better Living Industries headquarters which is the tallest building and largest complex in the city and home to the Director, the head of BL/ind.

The Underground - The subway systems under Battery City where many juvie halls live and plot against Better Living Industries. “The Underground” doesn’t always literally mean the subway systems and can be used as a relative term for anywhere juvie halls may live.

The Outskirts - The edge of Battery City, bordering Zone 1. This is where lower-class citizens live, along with some juvie halls, as this is the least regulated part of the city.

The Zones - The desert surrounding Battery City, where the Killjoys live. As the number of the Zone gets higher, so does the population, as the Killjoys like to be as far away from Battery City and BL/ind headquarters as possible.

Route Guano - The most used interstate in the Zones, running from south-eastern Battery City all the way out past Zone 6.

The Getaway Mile - The interstate south of Route Guano, which is shorter and goes more south but is often used for quick escapes from Battery City.

Death Valley - The area outside of Zone 6 that is dangerous and completely uninhabitable due to the extreme radiation.

Lighthouses - Well-known places across the Zones that provide sanctuary for Killjoys on the run

Train Station Avenue - A popular lighthouse along Route Guano in Zone 5 that is notorious for fights, food, and hitchhikers

The Nest - The largest lighthouse in the Zones, located next to DESTROYA in Zone 4

DESTROYA Site - The home of DESTROYA, a massive droid built by Better Living Industries to destroy the Killjoys during the Analog Wars but ended up malfunctioning and turning against them. The droid was shot down and has remained there ever since.

The Bunker - An underground bunker turned nightclub in Zone 6, popular for raves and huge amounts of attendees

Witch’s Hut - A small hut in Zone 6 where a supposed prophet of the Phoenix Witch lives

The Tracks - A race track in Zone 5 used for competitive drag races where parties are held and bets are placed for your favorite racers

Vocabulary:

Angel Cake - Killjoys who travel across the Zones selling food for cheaper prices

Audition - Initiation rituals that gangs in or outside of Battery City may have for you to be able to join. What you have to do varies from gang to gang

Babysitter - a term used to poke fun at a gang leader but also used as a genuine term for gang leaders who may be visibly older than the rest of the gang

Bacon - dead or dying Dracs and Crows

Batt out of hell - a term for new Killjoys but not used in a derogatory way

Batt Rat - a derogatory term used by Sand Pups to describe new Killjoys who just escaped the city and don’t know the Zone ways

Black Smith - someone who’s good at repairing or modifying technology or cars

Bifrost - places in the Zones that were so greatly affected by bombs, that the sand turned to glass

Blanket drive - driving at night with the headlights off, the windows down, and the music turned up loud

Carbons - The currency used in Battery City and the Zones. One carbon equals four dollars

Chilly - something or someone that’s suspicious

Clap - a physical fight

Cloud - A large group of Draculoids and S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W traveling through the Zones

Compass Rose - a Killjoy who knows the desert like the back of their hand

Costa Rica - things that went crazy or got out of control

Crash Queen - a daredevil or thrill seeker who is known for doing things that could easily get them killed and doesn’t care

Deadfaced - taking Battery Acid

Dead Pegasus - a fuel company in the Zones

Debut album - someone’s first love

Digital - An important moment shared amongst two or more rebels that they know they will never forget

Draculoid - droids and brainwashed Killjoys designed to kill rebels. Also called "bats" or "Dracs"

Drifter - someone who lives a nomadic lifestyle and strays from commitment in relationships

Drifting - A relationship that isn’t strictly anything but simply some sort of attraction between two individuals. A sort of go-with-the-flow, whatever happens, happens kind of relationship

Drive sidestreet - another way to tell someone to piss off. Also could use “get off the highway”

Dust Trail - an urban legend or a term used by non-religious Killjoys to describe religious Killjoys’ beliefs

ElectroKat - the most popular battery brand in Battery City and the Zones

Exterminators - High ranking Better Living Industries officials placed in charge of S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W units

Fact News - The one news program in Battery City, notorious for spreading lies to the citizens

Favorite Record - someone’s significant other

Firefight - a fight using ray guns

Fly half-mast - that state after having recently lost someone close to you

Gearhead - someone who’s obsessed with all things mechanical

Gemini - someone suspected of being a spy for Better Living Industries

Ghost Chase - Searching the Zones for someone who is possibly, or most likely, dead

Ghosted - killed. Also can use "dusted"

Graffiti Bible - A collection of religious writings across the Zones, mostly talking about how DESTROYA will come back to life and destroy Battery City and the Phoenix Witch

Gravehead - crazy Killjoys who have lost everyone and everything and throw themselves into dangerous situations

Gravity - anything that brings you down

Groupie - someone who travels with different gangs and trades favors for food, water, and protection

Halo Head - religious Killjoys who believe their beliefs put them above everyone else, especially non-religious Killjoys

Happy Pills - Pills issued by Better Living Industries that they say will lift your spirits and protect you from the radiation but make you more submissive and easier for BL to control. The rebels call them "Battery Acid"

Hit the red line - run away, usually from a bad/dangerous situation

Icy - when someone dies or goes missing in a suspicious way

Juvie Hall - rebels who haven’t left the city, usually because they can’t or because they’re working with the Killjoys to smuggle supplies out to the Zones and/or give them information from the city

Killjoy - rebels who live in the Zones

Lawyer - someone who ruins all the fun

Mailbox - small landmarks in the Zones where an old mailbox is painted and decorated and filled with letters, mostly to people that other Killjoys have lost. The more religious Killjoys believe the Phoenix Witch delivers the letters put in the mailboxes to the dead

Maple Plaza - Places in Zone 6 where radiation is still very thick and dangerous

Mega - interchangeable with "wicked"

Motorbabies - people who live and breathe all things car-related

Mousekat - a cartoon character from Battery City

Murder - a magazine in the Zones with Zone news

Pangea - A friendly gathering of two or more gangs

Paperboy - someone who travels across the Zones collecting news, gossip, and reporting deaths, usually for Dr. D or Murder magazine

Phoenix Witch - a supposed deity of the Zones, looking out for the rebels and carrying the souls of the dead into the afterlife

Pigs - another term for Dracs and Crows

Plus - A battery replenisher used by droids that are known for being highly addictive

Power Pup - a pre-moistened dog kibble brand that is often the only source of food in the Zones

Ray Gun - guns that shoot high-powered lasers instead of bullets. Rebels often customize them

Rebel - anyone who actively works against Better Living Industries

Ritalin Rat - drug addicts, usually used for those addicted to Happy Pills but can be used for Zoneweed addicts as well

Robin Hood Honey - party going Killjoys that look beautiful but don’t act like it

Rongee Kay - Killjoys who wander from party to party

Royal - something fancy or high end

Runners - juvie halls who smuggle supplies into the Zones

Sand Pup - someone born in the Zones or someone who has lived there most of their life

Sand Worm - a derogatory term for Killjoys used by Better Living Industries

S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W - BL loyalists specially trained to destroy anything they deem worthy of destroying. Also called "Crows"

Screwhead - someone who parties too much and thinks too little

Shiny Magazine - a magazine for mature readers in the Zones

Shiny - interchangeable with "awesome" or "cool"

Shower Curtain - A rare day when the sun is behind the clouds and the heat isn’t so unbearable

Smiley - someone acting suspiciously

Sour - something off

Squeaky - not having committed a crime against Better Living Industries but still wanting to rebel against them. Also used when someone seems to avoid fights or dangerous situations even though they’ve never done that before

Static - another word for sand or remote areas of the Zones

Trojan Horse - a painfully obvious lie

Tumbleweed - someone who wanders the Zones, living a nomadic lifestyle, having no home or gang

Vend-a-Hack - A device used by Killjoys to hack into Better Living Industries vending machines to steal various supplies

Vending Machine - Dispense a variety of items, including ray guns, batteries, ammo, stickers, stress toys, Plus, Power Pup, and water

WKIL 109 FMX - Doctor D’s pirate radio station that plays news and music

Zone Rat - a derogatory term for Killjoys used by Better Living Industries and some Battery City citizens

Zoneweed - a popular drug grown and passed around in the Zones

[0aurelion-sol0]

"There's no place like gnome."

Stranger Things 3: The Game.

Gnomes 1-10. 🧙‍♂️

IT'S FINALLY HERE!

It's no secret that the Duffers take a lot of inspirations from Pop Culture. From the most well known movies to the more obscure comics, they are always able to sneak a reference somewhere everytime. And they are also able to make it connected to the story.

I've bragged about how the Stranger Things expanded universe in media is one of the best out there compared to many others. I think that the Duffers, the writers or people in the highest places of the marketing are really paying attention to what comes out of the ST franchise because there is no way to have such content with so many details without someone looking into them.

And ST3: The Game is a very good example of that.

So let's start! The first 10 Gnomes out of 50 that you have to find in the game.

BE AWARE THAT THERE ARE SPOILERS BELOW!

"There's elements that could please those who makes metas/analyzes or theories. Especially things related to possible future plot points, easter eggs, references in previous seasons mainly season 3 like unsolved mysteries or unanswered questions and for future seasons such as season 4 like foreshadowing or teasers, trailers or as of lately the sneak peek."

If you have anything you'd like to add, might think I have missed or think it might be referencing something else don't hesitate to share it by commenting or reblogging.

(Say thanks to @hawkinsschoolcounselor for having helped me with some of them. )

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Gnome #1: Johnny

"He's here... with an axe."

Overall plot:

"The film's central character is Jack Torrance, an aspiring writer and recovering alcoholic who accepts a position as the off-season caretaker of the isolated historic Overlook Hotel in the Colorado Rockies. Wintering over with Jack are his wife, Wendy Torrance, and young son, Danny Torrance. Danny is gifted with "the shining", psychic abilities that enable him to see into the hotel's horrific past. The hotel cook, Dick Hallorann, also has this ability and is able to communicate with Danny telepathically. The hotel had a previous winter caretaker who went insane and killed his family and himself. After a winter storm leaves the Torrances snowbound, Jack's sanity deteriorates due to the influence of the supernatural forces that inhabit the hotel, placing his wife and son in danger."

So I assume a lot of you know The Shining by Stanley Kubrick. A movie which was adapted from the novel of the same name by Stephen King in 1977.

There's a lot of things that could have served as an inspiration for ST.

A boy/child who has psychic abilities = Eleven has psychic abilities such as telekinesis. Will has his True Sight which consist in seeing what the MF was seeing and feeling.

Now there's also the theme of family and parenthood that is also a big theme in Stranger Things. Especially abusive parenthood such as Brenner, Lonnie and even Hopper to a smaller degree.

In Shining, Jack tries to kill his family with an axe due to supernatural forces that are in the hotel but there's a difference between King and Kubrick. While King specifically said that Jack was heavily influenced by the Hotel, Kubrick shows that Jack always had that sinister violence in him even before they arrived at the hotel.

It's interesting to draw a parallel to Billy and Will, both characters called William who tried to kill their families and other people while being possessed. But Billy compared to Will was shown to have been abusive even before that. Dacre Montgomery also said that he was inspired by Jack Nicholson's performance in the Shining for his character Billy.

Joyce and Jonathan were shown to get ready to fight the monsters by taking an axe.

It's also interesting to note that Jack dies in the snow while a blizzard is happening outside the hotel. Much like the storm of the Mindflayer who is in the Upside Down, the same Mindflayer who "likes it cold". While in the book, the Overlook explodes and burn.

(Cold vs Fire much like everything Upside Down related not liking Fire.)

Also "Johnny" = "Jonathan", it's kind of similar and Jonathan did wield an axe before. Maybe this is teasing parts of Jonathan storyline next seasons ?

The gnome was also found in Mike's basement, Mike who wants to be a writer when he's older just like Jack.

Let's just hope that Jonathan and Mike don't get the same fate as Jack.

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Gnome #2: Christine

"Two bright, beaming lights for eyes."

Overall plot:

"Written by Bill Phillips and based on Stephen King's 1983 novel of the same title, the movie follows the changes in the lives of Arnie Cunningham, an awkward and unpopular teenager, his friends, his family, and his teenage enemies in Rockbridge, California after Arnie buys a classic red and white 1958 Plymouth Fury named Christine, licence number CQB 241, a car that seems to have a jealous, possessive personality – and a mind of its own, which has a bad influence on Arnie. After working on a car in a junkyard owned by Will Darnell, Arnie drops his glasses, starts dressing like a 1950's greaser and develops an arrogant and paranoid personality. He than decides to invite and date the most beautiful girl in highschool, Leigh, who will soon become the next victim of Christine."

I was actually quite surprised by how this story parallels Stranger Things a lot.

First off, Christine is very much like The Mindflayer, a dangerous supernatural being set out to destroy anyone who is in her way, the people who tries to take the things that she thinks belongs to her or threatens her. This is very much relevant to The Mindflayer who after being hurt by the Fire created by the Hawkins Lab was upset and attacked everyone he could. Or as Will putted "Not me, everyone else."

This is very much like Christine who tried to kill Leigh because she was taking her place in the life of Arnie. Christine also tried to kill the bullies of Arnie who after a conflit with him, tried to destroy the car which angered Christine heavily.

The Mindflayer has been described someone who views himself as superior to other species and wants to conquer them, even if it's not his real "goal", the description fits anyone who is possessive and paranoid.

Both the MF and Christine are associated with the color red. Red storm = red color of the car.

Arnie ressembles Will and Billy alot. Will is an awkward and unpopular teenager who after being possessed by the Mindflayer became very different and more violent. Billy was shown to be paranoid, jealous, violent and his look even ressembles the one Arnie takes after repairing Christine.

Both of these boys have the same name as Will Darnell, the owner of a junkyard. Just like the boys in Season 1 who takes shelter in a junkyard, or in season 2 where they fight the Demodogs.

Billy dies, killed by the Mindflayer just like Arnie who was completely possessed by Christine who tried to kill Leigh and Dennis, his best friend after they tried to destroy the car when they realised the supernatural nature of it.

Billy's car ressembles a lot Christine with those lights on. Especially with shots like in the Void or at Starcourt during the night.

Chrissy, a new character that will be in season 4, the most popular girl in Hawkins High like Leigh, has a name that is the diminutive of Christine. It is said that under the perfect surface lies a dark secret. Much like the car Christine, while a beauty is actually a dangerous supernatural being. We'll see if the both of them actually connects in the show.

Also it is set in California where Billy and Max come from and has been rumored by many people due to set leaks (The Surfer Boy Pizza Van.) that it is where the Byers went. I won't get into it in this post but this could be a tease or hint of that IF the set leaks ARE true and not fake to mess with people and the fandom.

Arnie also dies in a car crash having been completely possessed by the evil powers of Christine which is something we see in the sneak peek of ST4. It also reminds of Carrie who has a bully named Chris who she kills in a car crash with her boyfriend Billy aka William.

So will someone die from that car crash ? Who is it ? Chrissy, Joyce, Lonnie ? We can only speculate.

The gnome is also found outside the Wheeler's house where Karen lives near the community pool where Billy works and where the car of Billy is located during the first few chapters of the game. Again, a "bad boy" hitting on the beautiful girl in town. (with a lot of creepy subtext all over it.)

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Gnome #3: Doc

"Always mumbling something about being late."

Overall plot:

"Set in 1985, in the town of Hill Valley, California, the story follows Marty McFly, a teenager accidentally sent back to 1955 in a time-traveling DeLorean automobile built by his eccentric scientist friend Doctor Emmett "Doc" Brown. Trapped in the past, Marty inadvertently prevents his future parents' meeting—threatening his very existence—and is forced to reconcile the pair and somehow get back to the future."

So I don't think I need to explain why this is here given how much it has been shown and mentioned in season 3. But few things are interesting here, the fact that California is mentioned is a big deal for me again. I know you are aware of the set leaks just as I am aware, if we can trust them than this could be a hint of that location.

Next, we have the theme of Time. Now ever since ST4 was announced, clocks and times have been a key feature in the promotion. Who know what this might mean but again, we're not going to develop that in the post.

There is also the whole funny scenes of Robin realising that indeed Marty's mother had tried to "bang" her own son. Now given the nature of the shown, certain images in the show during certain events and certain stories, you know to what it connects and to which theories it connects. Won't develop further on it but it can be used as an element that can go into those theories.

The gnome is also found outside of Starcourt Mall where Robin and Steve talk about "Back to the Future". It is also where Billy has his "Back to te Future" moment with his car going extremely fast just like the DeLorean.

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Gnome #4: Indiana

"Master of Adventure."

Overall plot:

"After arriving in India, Indiana Jones is asked by desperate villagers to find a mystical stone and rescue their children from a Thuggee cult practicing child slavery, black magic, and ritualistic human sacrifice in honor of the goddess, Kali."

Fun fact, on Twitter for ST3 promo, a parody poster of this same movie has been posted here of the official ST account.

Jim is obviously Indiana Jones, the look speaks for itself and when he is in the Tunnels in season 2, there's a lot of Indiana Jones imagery.

And of course Kali as 008, a Hindu goddess but as we will see here, it parallels more the Mindflayer.

In 1935, Indiana Jones survives a murder attempt by Lao Che, a crime boss in Shanghai who has hired him to retrieve the remains of Emperor Nurhaci. With his young orphaned Chinese sidekick, Short Round, and the nightclub singer, Willie Scott, in tow, Indy flees Shanghai on a cargo aircraft. While the three of them are asleep, the pilots (employed by Lao Che) dump the fuel and escape via parachute, leaving the plane to crash over the Himalayas. The three narrowly manage to survive by jumping out of the plane on an inflatable raft.

(I wonder if this could be something we see in season 4 with Hopper where he tries to escape on a plane and ends up crashing somewhere or is betrayed by someone who he asked the help of. Now it's a trio and in season 3, Jim, Joyce, Alexei and Murray are the main group that fits this trio. Jim for all the fighting and crazy shit, Joyce and Alexei are kind of like Short Round, they are the sidekicks of Hopper. Murray the role of Willie Scott since she speaks Chinese and him Russian and that Jim just like Indy finds annoying sometimes. Alexei is also kind of like Willie since he kinda goes along with them.

But if we also look at season 2, El is alot like Short Round since she is kind of an orphan too and has a father figure later on. It could also be Will since Hopper is with him a lot of times through season 2. Also Willie did felt out of her element like Alexei because of course he is Russian. Willie in itself doesn't have a lot in common with Joyce but still it's another connection to Will since she has a name close to the one of her sons. Something that does fit a bit more is Jim and Hopper both escaping death, of course Hopper at the end of season 3 but also during season 3 at the farm where he's being shot at by Gregori and than the car doesn't work and explodes and they have to make their way through the forest.

Willie Scott could also be referenced when El disguise herself as this pretty blonde girl in season 1.

Now however, Scoop Troops does fit certain parts of these trio. All the fighting with Steve like Indiana Jones but Robin got his brain because she cracked the code. Dustin and Erica are kinda like short round (especially Dustin who has kind of the same hat as short round.) and are referenced with all the others as children by Robin. Steve doesn't feel in his element like Willie with the three of them who are nerds just like Erica who also doesn't want to accept it. And Robin just like Willie speaks some languages.)

They ride down the mountain slopes and fall into a raging river, eventually arriving at the village of Mayapore in northern India. The villagers plead for their aid in retrieving the sacred stone (shivalinga) stolen from their shrine, along with their missing children, by evil forces in the nearby Pankot Palace. Indy agrees to do so, hypothesizing that the stone is one of the five Sankara stones given by the gods to help humanity fight evil. (It's kinda like Alexei who turns his back on the Russians, for his life of course and agrees to help Hopper close the gate to save Hawkins and their kids before monsters start to appear or may attack one of their kids. Now the stone could be something similar to the promethium or the two keys who opens the gate and is a highly valuable ressource. It also may be the Flayed who are needed to create the monster for the Mindflayer.)

The trio receive a warm welcome at Pankot Palace and are allowed to stay for the night as guests, attending a lavish, but revolting, banquet hosted by the young Maharajah. The officials rebuff Indy's theory that the Thuggee cult is responsible for their troubles. Later that night, Indy is attacked by an assassin. After Indy kills him, he discovers a series of tunnels hidden behind a statue and sets out to explore them, overcoming a number of booby-traps.

(This could be like when Hopper, Joyce and Murray disguised themselves as Russian soldiers but was than discovered by Grigori who attacks them.

The tunnels could be both groups discovering that there is a secret russian base underground and a gate which explains why there are monsters again in Hawkins but it also be the Source, Brimborn Steel Works, where the Mindflayer is lurking underground where he has cult-like followers who makes sacrifices for him to grow bigger and bigger.

It's also like the Tunnels in season 2 who explains why the soil of Hawkins seemed to literally rot. )

The trio reach an underground temple where the Thuggees worship Kali with human sacrifice. They discover that the Thuggees now possess three of the Sankara stones and have enslaved the children to search for the last two, hidden in the palace catacombs. As Indy tries to retrieve the stones, he, Willie, and Shorty are captured. Thuggee high priest Mola Ram forces Indy to drink a potion that puts him into a trance-like state in which he mindlessly serves the cult. (It's very much like Robin and Steve who after discovering the gate are catched by the Russians and than drugged to answer their questions. But also like the Flayed who drinks the chemicals and serves the Mindflayer like a mindless cult.)

Willie is prepared for sacrifice, while Shorty is put to work in the mines with the other children. Shorty escapes and returns to the temple, where he first frees Indy and, later, the Maharajah from the effects of the potion. Indy saves Willie and retrieves the stones. After freeing the children, Indy fights a hulking overseer and leaves him to be killed by a rock crusher. (Basically Dustin saves Steve and Robin. Willie being prepared for sacrifice is kind of like El prepared for sacrifice by Billy in 3x08 but also frees Billy from the effects of the Mindflayer by making him remember his mother, a pretty blonde woman like Willie and sacrifices himself. And Hopper fights Gregori, a "hulking overseer" and kills him.)

The trio escape from the temple, pursued by Thuggees, and barely escape Mola Ram's attempt to flood them out. They are again ambushed by Mola Ram and his henchmen on a rope bridge above a crocodile-infested river. Indy cuts the bridge, causing several of the henchmen to fall to the crocodiles and leaving the survivors to hang on for their lives. As Mola Ram and Indy struggle, Indy invokes the name of Shiva, causing the stones to glow red-hot and burn through Indy's satchel. Two of them fall out; Mola Ram tries to catch the third, but burns his hand and falls from the bridge and into the river, where he, too, is eaten by the crocodiles. (This can be connected to all the kids fighting in Hawkins with the Spider Monster. But the bridge could also fit for the key in the secret base where Hopper and Gregori fights. The gruesome death of Mola Ram is similar to the gruesome death that Gregori has.)

Indy catches the stone safely and climbs up just as a company of British Indian Army riflemen, sent by the Maharajah, arrive and open fire against the Thuggees to drive them away; the surviving Thuggees are soon cornered and arrested by more soldiers. Indy, Willie, and Shorty return safely to Mayapore with the stone and the missing children. (While it may end well in the movie, we know Billy and multiple people die, the Thuggees unlike the Russians have been captured while the Russians where all able to flee before the US Army arrives and Hopper is presumed dead. Only the children in both stories are alive but are probably traumatized for life.)

All in all we can see that this movie might have had a big influence on the plot of season 3 through many characters and more. It may have some hints about possible events for Hopper in season 4 or even beyond but that's about it for. It's a nice package of comparaisons and references though.

The gnome is found in the Hawkins Community Pool where Billy is. The same Billy who obeys mindlessly the Mindflayer and sacrifices people to it. Just like the Thuggees with Kali.

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Gnome #5: Chunk

"Posed in some odd dance maneuver."

Overall plot:

"In the film, a band of kids who live in the "Goon Docks" neighborhood of Astoria, Oregon, attempt to save their homes from foreclosure and, in doing so, they discover an old treasure map that takes them on an adventure to unearth the long-lost fortune of One-Eyed Willy, a legendary 17th-century pirate. During the adventure, they are chased by a family of criminals who want the treasure for themselves."

So first, let's get this out of the way, Sean Astin who play Bob Newby, our beloved who plays a character named Mikey.

The Goonies is a 1985 American adventure comedy film co-produced and directed by Richard Donner from a screenplay by Chris Columbus, based on a story by executive producer Steven Spielberg. In the film, kids who live in the "Goon Docks" neighborhood of Astoria, Oregon, attempt to save their homes from foreclosure and, in doing so, they discover an old treasure map that takes them on an adventure to unearth the long-lost fortune of One-Eyed Willy, a legendary 17th-century pirate. During the adventure, they are chased by a family of criminals who want the treasure for themselves.

I wonder if this might hint at some Season 4 plot right here. The Hawkins gang faces the threat of Hawkins becoming a literal ghost down and might need to find something to save it. Also Willy like William, again Will is still there.

The Goonies include optimist lead Goonie Mikey Walsh, his older brother Brandon, the inventive Data, the talkative Mouth, and the overweight klutz Chunk.

Rummaging through the Walshes' attic, they come across a 1632 doubloon and an old treasure map purporting to lead to the treasure of legendary pirate "One-Eyed Willy", believed to be located somewhere nearby. Mikey considers One-Eyed Willy to be the original Goonie. (It kinda reminds me of Mike who got mad at Max in season 2 and told her they didn't need another party member. And he mentionned Will first right after him.)

The kids overpower and bind Brandon and make their way to an abandoned restaurant on the coast that coincides with the map; Brandon soon follows alongside Andy, a cheerleader with a crush on him ( there has been cheerleaders that have been reported in season 4 such as Chrissy.); and Stef, Andy's friend. The group quickly discovers the derelict restaurant is a hideout of the Fratelli crime family: Francis, Jake, and their mother. (Maybe it is both a reference to the Russians in season 3 who have a hideout under the mall who have many restaurants. Or the Lab who OBVIOUSLY does a lot of illegal activities. )

The Goonies find a tunnel in the basement and follow it (like the tunnels made by the Mindflayer in season 2), but when Chunk flags down a motorist to go to the sheriff’s station, he gets abducted by the assailants and imprisoned with their hulking, deformed, younger brother Sloth. (This is obviously like Dustin who befriends Dart in season 2, a literal Demogorgon in the making.)

The Fratellis interrogate Chunk until he reveals where the Goonies have gone, and begin pursuit. Chunk is left behind with Sloth, but befriends him. After Sloth frees both of them, Chunk calls the sheriff, and both follow the trail of the Fratellis. (This is very reminiscent of Hopper in season 1 who gets interrogated by Lab agents or Steve and Robin by the Russians.)

The Goonies evade several deadly booby traps along the tunnels, while staying ahead of the Fratellis. Finally, they reach the grotto where Willy's pirate ship, the Inferno, is anchored. (Will also has a ship, the rainbow ship he drew for Joyce, also Inferno literally means Hell just like what Hawkins has been called.)

The group discovers the ship is filled with treasure, and they start filling their pockets, but Mikey warns them not to take any on a set of scales in front of Willy, considering that to be their tribute to him. As they leave the ship, the assailants appear and strip them of their loot. They start to bind the Goonies and make them walk the plank, until Chunk arrives with Sloth and distracts the assailants long enough for the Goonies to jump overboard and swim to safety. (It's the opposite of the season 2 finale, where Dustin has to distract Dart so that the other could pass through the tunnels.)

The Fratellis proceed to grab all the treasure they can, including those on Willy's scales; this triggers another booby trap that causes the grotto to cave in. With Sloth's help, the Goonies and Fratellis barely escape.

The two groups emerge on Astoria's beach, where they reunite with the Goonies' families and the police. The Fratellis are arrested, but Chunk prevents Sloth from also being taken; he invites Sloth to live with him, which Sloth accepts. ("Unfortunately", Dart compared to Sloth probably died.)

As the kids describe their adventure to their parents, the Walshes' housekeeper, Rosalita, discovers that Mikey's marble bag is filled with gems he took from the ship and had not been seized by the Fratellis. Mikey's father triumphantly rips up the foreclosure papers, declaring they have enough money to negate the foreclosure. As the Goonies celebrate, they see the Inferno, having broken free of the grotto, sailing off on its own in the distance. (Could it be hinting at a possible happy ending for Stranger Things ?)

So Fratellis, is similar to fratello which means "brother, fellow, neighbor" which perhaps could be a reference to the Mindflayer who is kind of our neighbor since he is basically in the same places but in the Upside Down. The Mindflayer also has been paralleled to Billy and other abusive father figures. Billy who is the brother of Max. He has also been paralleled to Kali through his anger and him attacking people who hurted him or might hurt him. Could in itself The Mindflayer should be taken or seen as some sort of family figure ? Maybe him being always associated with Will The Wise especially in 2x04 or someone who has the name Will like Billy is a connection. The same Billy who also parallels Russians who just like the Fratellis have secret hideouts.

Though the Fratellis are more motivated by greed which fits Brenner, Lonnie (who tried to use his son's death to gain money.) or Russians most.

Now Willy, Willy is a captain. Maybe it could be hinting at the fact that Will has more importance to the story than we think. There's also Inferno, "Hell" which is Hawkins but also the name of the ship. And Will has a rainbow ship... Could Hawkins be the ship of Will where his adventures are taking place ?

As for the dance... well as you've seen upper in the post: it's the "Truffle Shuffle Dance". It's something that Chunk has to do before entering Mikey's house. It's similar to what Dustin do at the beginning of season 1 to the bullies when he makes his bones crack due to his medical condition, cleidocranial dysplasia.

As for where this gnome is located, it's in Weathertop where Cerebro is located which is fitting since Dustin has a lot of Goonies as inspiration for his character.

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Gnome #6: Elvis

"He's not dead!"

"Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), also known simply as Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century. His energized interpretations of songs and sexually provocative performance style, combined with a singularly potent mix of influences across color lines during a transformative era in race relations, led him to both great success and initial controversy." - Wikipedia.

It is a lot known that people in the 80's thought that Elvis Presley was still alive due to his status and the aura he had as a celebrity. However, no matter how appealing this myth may be, he died of an excessive usage of prescription drugs which reminds me of Nancy who said she thought Tom was on drugs when he fired her and Jonathan while he an the Flayed were drinking chemicals. He also died in 1977, the same year "Heroes" by David Bowie came out which is a song that was used two times when we thought a character died when he was actually alive which are Will and Hopper. Will and Hopper both have a lot of rock in their Spotify playlist.

Also, I personally think that Steve has kind of an Elvis Presley aura to him especially in season 1. After all, Steve has a nickname "King Steve" and Elvis Presley is often nicknamed "The King" and both were popular with girls.

Fun fact: Dacre Montgomery who plays Billy who literally becomes the new "King" of Hawkins will play in the biographical music drama "Elvis" about Elvis Presley where he will play a character called "Steve Binder".

Also actor David Harbour also got married with singer Lily Allen by Elvis in Las Vegas.

It's also found hidden behind bushes near the Public Library. Maybe indicating that Elvis is still out there in the world and hiding.

Which also may be a reference to Brenner who has a similar haircut but also about the novel "Suspicious Minds", a prequel of ST taking place in the Lab when Brenner was doing his sinister experiments which is the same title as one of the songs of Elvis. Like Elvis, Brenner is still out there, hiding in Hawkins.

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Gnome #7: Jack

"All work and no play makes Jack a dull gnome."

Again another reference to Shining. So what you are seeing here is a proverb, it means:  "It means that without time off from work, a person becomes both bored and boring."

In Shining, it represents Jack's slow descent into madness. But it could be a reference to Joyce, Jonathan and Nancy who all work their asses off and don't take a lot of time for themselves and so don't have the time to explore anything else than work which also cause for them not to be there when Will got kidnapped. It may also represent Jonathan's words to Nancy in season 1 where he "called out" the boring life she will have and that she will live like her parents so in this case the proverb becomes about societal norms.

Mike just like Jack is an aspiring writer, Mike just like other members of his family falls into these societal norms that are expected like work and overworking in this instance which makes them boring in the eyes of people like Jonathan. "No play" may also reference D&D which Mike started to ignore in season 3 and worried more pointless and superficial things.

Again, hope it doesn't foreshadow anything for these two characters.

This gnome is found in the Library which is fitting considering Jack wants to be a writer.

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Gnome #8: Flynn (Flynn Rider from "Tangled" (2010))

"Looks like he rides well."

Overall plot of Tangled (2010):

"The film tells the story of Rapunzel, a lost, young princess with magical long blonde hair who yearns to leave her secluded tower. Against her abusive foster mother's wishes who kidnappee her when she was young, she accepts the aid of an intruder to take her out into the world which she has never seen."

This story is literally what the boys was arguing about at the end of season 1.

1)The lost knight...

Flynn Rider is actually the son of a king and queen that were from a kingdom that got destroyed by a powerful opal. He was evacuated and placed in an orphanage. He made his reputation as thief.

So Mike and El both parallels this guy, well Mike is a palladin in D&D and he is the son of a wealthy family so he is basically a night. El however also lost her parents like him and has more attributes of a knight in season 1 than Mike.

Flynn is arrogant, which Mike can be a bit sometimes but the both of them can be extremely courageous and care a lot about the people they care about though they are not very strong, nor athletic. Maybe Flynn a bit more.

Also fun coincidence Flynn = Finn, the name of the actor who plays Mike. (almost the same name).

Both him and El run into each other in the woods. Just like Flynn who discover Rapunzel while trying to enter Rapunzel's tower but is knocked out by her who is none other than the...

2)The proud princess...

Well first Rapunzel = Eleven. Both of these girls have magical powers and are used by an abusive and evil parental figure who needs them for their own interest, Mother Gothel used the powers of Rapunzel to stay young forever (like an addiction, a drug) and Martin Brenner aka "Papa". They are both locked away somewhere. El in the lab and Rapunzel in the tower which they both seeked to escape out of. Both believed that these parental figures loved them while it was not true. El also has long blond hair in season 1 like Rapunzel. And both quickly form a relationship with a boy they just met. Both don't know who their real parents are and wants to find them. While Rapunzel has long blonde hair, El had a shaved head.

Also in season 2, El is locked in a cabin in the woods because of Hopper because he believe it is not safe out there which is exactly what Mother Gothel tells Rapunzel. Just like her El disobeys and seeks to discover who her true parents are.

Rapunzel seeks to know what are those floating lights that always appear on her birthday, it is actually her parents who are the king and queen of a kingdom not so far away that do that every year hoping one day she will come back to her. She is a "lost princess". It is very similar to Terry Ives who was communicating through the lights to El.

Rapunzel's power comes out of something that is also connected to something famous in ST.

3) Weird flowers in the cave...

Rapunzel's power come from a flower called "Sundrop flower". = Sunflower which is said by Terry Ives.

This flower can pretty much heal anything including mortal wounds. The Queen got pregnant with Rapunzel but was also terribly sick so she took this flower to heal herself and while doing so, Rapunzel got this ability.

This is very reminiscent of Terry Ives who was pregnant with El and took part in the MKUltra experiences that gave her these powers including certain drugs. She is also "ill" in a way as she is now stuck in a loop. At least from what we saw.

But Rapunzel also parallels another character.

Will Byers. Will could communicate through lights to his mother, just like the parents of Rapunzel and Terry Ives.

The weird flowers could be referencing the sort of vines that entered inside of him in the Upside Down which gave him his "now-memories".

Both had abusive parental figure that would lock them somewhere for whatever reason. (Lonnie with Will in his trunk.)

(Also Hopper may have tried to separate Mike and El but he wasn't like what a Lonnie or Brenner would have been. This is why yes, the situation in season 2 parallels but Hopper truly wished good for El while Brenner and Mother Gothel didn't care for any of these two.)

Same is for Lonnie, he doesn't care about Will.

Since Will is a cleric, both him and Rapunzel have the same time of power. Powers that El doesn't have:

To heal the sick and injured

To revive the dead

To work as a shield

Given this story, it may hint at the fact that Brenner and Lonnie may try to take El and Will for their own greed and purposes.

Since Rapunzel parallels both Will and El, you know what that means for Flynn who parallels Mike.

Flynn in the movie is stabbed by Mother Gothel and dies before cutting the hair of Rapunzel killing Mother Gothel in the process. Rapunzel mourns him and one of his tears heal him.

If Flynn parallels Mike, than something bad could happen to him. If Will does have powers and has feelings for Mike, a supposed death may reveal his powers.

And if he has the same powers as his cleric role, than he could heal those who get hurt or even bring the dead back to life.

If Lonnie sees Mike around Will, given he is homophobic. He may try to hurt him so that he doesn't go near Will again which could lead to him being in grave danger.

Of course all of that is just speculation.

This gnome was found on the parking lot of Starcourt where El decided to break up with Mike and we saw Will smiling in the background.

Also I don't know but... "Looks like he rides well", I mean there's certain undertones to that which are... I don't know how to process that but from what you've just read, Mike apparently rides well. I mean I have nothing against gay sex jokes but still...

Even if it's unintentional, it's how it'll sound on the internet.

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Gnome #9: David

"At 399, he's the oldest gnome around."

So this gnome was already in the first ST official mobile game. And this reminds me a lot of The Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit but also and of course; Dungeons & Dragons.

The World of David the Gnome, originally titled David, el Gnomo (also known as David, the Gnome), is a Spanish animated television series based on the children's book The Secret Book of Gnomes, by the Dutch author Wil Huygen and illustrator Rien Poortvliet. The series was originally created in Spain by BRB Internacional (who were also responsible for the Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds franchise (Like Dart in season 2 and Mike, Lucas and Dustin where very much like the Three Musketeers in season 1.) and other cartoons such as Bobobobs and Around the World with Willy Fog)

The series presents the gnomes as a kind species, of 15 centimetres (6 inches) of height, and between 250 and 300 grams (8 and 10 ounces) of weight depending on gnome body mass. According to their habitat, different types of gnomes are distinguished: the ones of the forest, the ones of the garden, the ones of the farm, the ones of the house, the ones of the dunes, those of Siberia (David = David Harbour = Hopper = Hopper is in Russia), and nomadic "gypsy" gnomes (commonly looked down upon by other gnomes). A gnome's lifespan is usually 400 years, though there is one example of a couple in the Balkans living 550 years.

Gnomes such as the main characters live in pairs in comfortable caves or holes under trees [kinda like Hobbits] (in their case in the company of a pair of mice and a cricket). Their diet is mostly vegetarian. They are helped by the animals of the forest (kinda like Radagast who is the password to Castle Byers who is located in the woods) when travelling long distances or when they need to arrive quickly at a specific location. Gnomes work in various ways to repair the damage inevitably caused by humans. They also have the power of telepathy and mind control. (kinda like El or the Mindflayer, or even Galadriel in The Lord Of The Rings.)

Their main enemies are the trolls, malevolent and clumsy creatures who always make trouble for the other inhabitants of the forest, as well as gnome poachers. They have supernatural powers that are really strong but they have a weakness, if the sunlight gets on them, they turn to stone.(could be referencing all the Upside Down creatures who don't like sunlight and everything hot.) [Also very much like the Hobbit.] Also one of the trolls was voiced by someone who had the name Henderson, like Dustin Henderson. I also think it references a comic where some bullies attack Will and Mike calls them trolls.

Here are the most important characters:

David is a gnome of the forest. David is 399 years old, making him the oldest gnome around (since gnomes live no more than 400 years exactly, except Franklin, the gnome from the west, who lived 550 years), although he possesses exceptional constitution. David is a doctor, and he uses his knowledge of many fields, such as hypnosis and acupuncture, to heal his patients, usually animals, such as his faithful friend Swift the fox, or other gnomes. David also befriends a bird that, when he whistles, immediately arrives to quickly transport him to wherever necessary. For longer trips, he sometimes travels in a basket attached to the neck of the bird. (It may be a reference to clerics who are known to heal their allies and travelling with birds reminds me of Gandald who sometimes has the help of Eagles in some stories.)

Paul is David's twin brother. Not only does Paul have a normal moustache in contrast to David's handlebar moustache but his jumper is a darker shade of blue, he has a bigger nose, his gnome hat is dark blue whereas David's is red, and his trousers and boots are an inverse of David's: David's trousers are brown and his boots are beige, while Paul wears beige trousers and dark boots. (Of course this is a reference to Will and El who have been compared a lot of times throughout the show and who a lot of people in the fandom consider them siblings and twins, Will has a lot of Red in his wardrobe while El has a lot of blue.)

This gnome was found in a secret Russian base underground in Weathertop where Dustin discovers the Russian transmission coming from their main base located under the mall like a cave (like where gnome lives.). There are also gnomes in Siberia and having the name David, the name of Hopper's actor creates a connection since right now Hopper is in Russia. It may also be a nod to the group of kids who are all little gnomes running around the forest with their magical powers.

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Gnome #10: Baskin

"Robin's favorite gnome."

Now this is a funny one.

This is a reference to the famous Baskin-Robbins which is a chain of ice cream restaurants that did special ice creams for Season 3 because of Scoops Ahoy. It is Robin's favorite gnome because they literally share the same name.

Baskin could also be a reference to the film of the same name where Five police officers, Remzi, Arda, Yavuz, Apo, and Seyfi, are dining at a restaurant, during which they have a discussion. Their meal is interrupted when they receive a distress call from Inceagac, a town known for being the focus of strange rumors. During the trip Seyfi has a terrifying vision of a bloody figure and accidentally drives their van into the water. Stranded, the officers eventually make their way to Inceagac, where they find themselves in an abandoned building (back in the Ottoman days, this used to be a police station), captured by cult members and are subjected to a number of increasingly bizarre and surreal scenarios. In the end, they realize they have all inadvertently wandered into Hell.

It has alot of similiraties with stories like Silent Hills or Hellraiser, two stories that inspired Stranger Things especially Hellraiser for Stranger Things 4. And it fully embraces the satanic imagery and themes which is something we are going to see with the satanic panic and also has the theme of time, dreams and visions.

We'll see how much season 4 decides to use those sort of elements in the show.

Well this gnome is easy to find. It's in the Scoops Ahoy parlor next to Robin. USS Butterscotch seems to be very popular there

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Gnomes 11 - 20 coming soon.

[greatworldwar2]

• Arthur Chin (CNAF U.S Ace)

Arthur Tien Chin; Cantonese: Chan Sui-Tin; was a pilot from the United States who participated in the Second Sino-Japanese War. Chin was compelled to defend his father's homeland when Japan invaded China. Chin is recognized as the United States' first flying ace in World War II.

Chin was born in Portland, Oregon on October 23rd, 1913 to Fon Chin, who was from Taishan, China, and Eva Wong, who may have been of Peruvian background. Motivated by the Japanese invasion of China, Chin enrolled in flight school (at the Chinese Flying Club of Portland) in 1932, and along with 13 other Chinese Americans including John "Buffalo" Huang Xinrui and Hazel Ying Lee. He left for China and joined the Canton Provincial Air Force under General Chen Jitang as the first and original group of American volunteer combat aviators, and from there was sent to additional aerial-gunnery training with the Luftwaffe at Lagerlechfeld, Germany; returning to China to see the Guangdong Provincial Air Force integrated into the central government's air force under the KMT.

The Japanese Empire was on the march in Asia, and its annexation of Manchuria in 1932 simply confirmed the suspicions of many about Japan’s designs on China. Determined to save their ancestral homeland and buoyed by the best wishes of their neighbors and friends, Chin and eleven other young Chinese-Americans set forth in 1933 to volunteer to fly for the Chinese Air Force. They ran into a brick wall, figuratively speaking. Unfortunately, the central government was not interested in their services. Although details aren’t available, it seems likely that this was a case of the bureaucracy facing a situation without precedent or instructions and being unwilling to make a decision. Although China was seeking help from abroad it hadn’t solicited this particular assistance from these particular people. Added to this was their status as Overseas Chinese, which, to many, implied suspicious links to foreign powers. Japan was just one of several forces vying for power in China at that time. The 1911 Revolution that signaled the end of the Qing Dynasty had not led to the firm establishment of a successor regime and, despite high hopes for Sun Yat-sen’s Republic, China had fragmented into a patchwork of chiefdoms headed by warlords. By 1930, Sun’s party, the Kuomintang (KMT by then under Chiang Kai-shek) had suppressed most of these warlords and established a central government widely recognized internationally, but many provinces offered only token allegiance and groups such as Mao Tse-tung’s Communists still remained to be dealt with. Oddly, this situation gave Chin and most of his colleagues a “back door” into the air force. By the early ’30s there had been something on the order of sixteen separate air forces in China, ranging in size from one or two airplanes to a nominal strength of several hundred.

Perhaps because of their Cantonese ancestry, most of the Americans who were finally accepted started out flying for the Canton Air Corps of Guangdong. This was the largest and best-equipped of the provincial air arms, serving as “top cover” for Chen Chidang, the de-facto warlord of Guangdong. Art was one of these, being accepted as a Warrant Probationary Pilot on December 1st, 1933. In stark contrast to the pilots of the later American Volunteer Group (that was formed eight years later and existed for less than one year), who were paid $500 a month, their pay was equivalent to $25 US per month. Chin “enlisted” in the national air force during the summer of 1936. In a bid for power, Chen Chidang revolted against Chiang Kai-shek that May. Perhaps motivated by the sense that China needed unity in order to face the threat from Japan, in June and July of 1936 the Canton Air Corps defected as a group to the central (KMT) air force (the role in this of American pilots such as Chin is not clear, but they don’t appear to have been the instigators). This was more than simply a shuffle of allegiances: Cantonese pilots actually flew all of their planes to KMT airfields. At a stroke the national air force was substantially augmented, and, as might be expected, the revolt fizzled. After being sent to Germany for advanced training, Chin flew as a flight leader with the 6th Squadron and then from February until June, 1937, as an instructor. That month he was assigned to the 28th Pursuit Squadron, 5th Pursuit Group, as Vice Squadron Commander under another American, Captain Chan Kee-Wong.

Life in China wasn’t all preparation for war. Handsome and outgoing, Art sported a classically pencil-thin mustache and smoked a pipe. Reputedly one of his few social impediments was speaking Cantonese with a pronounced American accent, but he had enough charm to overcome that. He developed a reputation as something of a ladies’ man, one that would follow him the rest of his life. Nevertheless, about this time he met and married a Sumatra-born ethnic Chinese named Eva Wu (Ng Yue-ying in Cantonese). Meanwhile, friction with Japan’s Kwantung Army escalated into open war on July 7th, 1937. On August 10th the 17th and 28th Pursuit Squadrons were stationed at Chuyung Airfield near Nanking, capital of the central government. The 17th was commanded by still another American, John Wong, and was equipped with the export version of the Boeing P-26 “Peashooter,” the Boeing 281. Although it was an all-metal monoplane, the P-26/Model 281 was a transitional design and retained many old-fashioned features. On August 13th Japanese forces attacked Shanghai and began their drive inland to the capital. Chin made his first kill, a Mitsubishi G3M2 twin-engine bomber, on August 16. It was a difficult combat for him for a number of reasons, not the least of which was that his fighter wasn’t much faster than the bomber. Chin recalled that once he was in firing position he was virtually a stationary target for the bomber’s gunners. This combat highlights the rapid pace of aeronautical development during the 1930s. The 28th PS detached a flight to defend the Shaokwan Aircraft Factory in Canton Province, and Chin was selected to command it. On September 27th, 1937 his flight and one from the 29th (they being mounted on retractable-gear Hawk III’s) intercepted three G3M2s. Chin didn’t claim a kill, but Japanese records show that one bomber was forced to ditch on the way back to its base and evidence suggests that he was responsible for the major part of its damage. The following month China obtained 36 Gladiator Mk. I’s from Britain. The 17th, 28th, and 29th Pursuit Squadrons were re-equipped with this type and worked up on it during January and February, 1938. Chin went on to score most of his kills while flying this type of aircraft, but on the flip side crashed three of them. The only loss that can be chalked up as an accident occurred on February 9th, 1938. While leading a flight to Nanchang he ran into a snowstorm. In June Chin was appointed to command the 28th squadron and promoted to Captain.

On August 3rd, Chin is reported to have engaged three Japanese Mitsubishi A5M fighters by himself. Chin “deliberately rammed the Jap leader as he came in for the kill. Both planes burst into flame but Art hit the silk safely. He was wounded and slightly burned, yet when we found him he was directing the salvage of the precious machine guns from his wrecked plane.” Although exaggerated somewhat, the basic outline of this story appears to be accurate. In October, 1938, the surviving Gladiators were withdrawn for overhaul and the 28th Pursuit re-equipped with still another biplane, the Russian Polikarpov I-15Bis (or I-152). Decimated by accidents and enemy action, the Chinese air force had declined to a fraction of its former strength despite an infusion of Russian aircraft and reinforcement by Russian “volunteers” that had begun as early as the autumn of 1937. On December 20th, 1938, Chin was appointed Deputy Commander of the 3rd Pursuit Group.xxvii It appears that, like the rest of his comrades in the 28th, Chin qualified in the Russian fighters but he didn’t claim any victories while flying them. On November 2nd, 1939, Chin and a wingman attacked a Mitsubishi Ki-15 reconnaissance aircraft because of its speed considered by the Japanese to be virtually immune to interception by Chinese fighters but didn’t down it. Chin combat career ended in a suitably climactic fashion on December 27th, 1939. On this date he led a mixed formation consisting of an I-15Bis and another Gladiator escorting three Russian-flown SB bombers on a raid against the Japanese Army in the vicinity of the Kunlun Pass. After a savage fight during which Chin's flight fell one by one but appear to have shot down two Japanese fighters and damaged a third in return (personal credit for the kills is not certain), Chin’s Gladiator was hit in the fuel tank and caught fire. He nursed his flying inferno back over Chinese lines and bailed out, but was terribly burned. The sacrifice was not in vain; all three bombers got through. After the bloody fight, KMT forces regained Kunlun Pass. While recovering from his burns Chin stayed with his family in a small house on Liuchow Airfield and was nursed by Eva. Unfortunately, only two days after Art’s return, the airfield came under attack by Japanese bombers. Eva took the children to the air-raid shelter first and went back for Chin, who was virtually immobilized by the bandages. Too late to run, Eva threw herself on top of Chin and was killed by shrapnel when the next explosion destroyed the house. During an interview many years later Chin said simply “I held her dead body to mine until help came.”

Hong Kong, then a British colony, was neutral at that time. Chin and his children were evacuated there where, in seven operations over two years, doctors at the Hong Kong Sanitarium in Happy Valley tried to repair the damage to his face and hands. In the chaos following the Japanese attack on December 8th, 1941, (still swathed in bandages) Chin got out of his hospital bed, tracked down his boys whose caregivers had either abandoned them or been killed – and managed to escape back across enemy lines to friendly territory. Finally, friends such as Chennault and Madame Chiang Kai-Shek (Soong Mei-Ling, wife of the Nationalist Chinese Generalissimo) persuaded Chin to return to the States for treatment. As commanding officer of the “1st American Volunteer Group,” Chennault drafted a letter dated June 10th, 1942, requesting US air transportation for Chin. At a hospital in New York, Chin suffered a series of twenty operations over a period of twenty months to rebuild his face and hands, leaving him heavily scarred but reasonably whole. Clearly, Chin had “done his bit” and no one could blame him if he had decided to rest on his laurels, retire to a quieter line of work, and hide his scarred face from the world, but that wasn’t Chin's desire. He spoke at war bond rallies and on radio broadcasts with such celebrities as movie star George Raft. A particularly notable event was the “Gung Ho” War Bond rally in New York, which was sponsored by Chinese-American community and attended by dignitaries including Mayor LaGuardia. Finally in 1945, Chin returned to duty as a transport pilot with the China National Aviation Corporation (CNAC). He qualified for a Second class medical on March 28th, 1945.

During the final stage of China-Japanese war, he flew supplies over the “Hump” route through the Himalayas from India into China. This was not soft duty. A former commander of USAAF portion of the airlift, Lt. Gen. William Tunner, later wrote that “flying the Hump was considered as hazardous as flying a combat mission over Germany.” At the end of the war Art stayed on in China to fly with CNAC, by then as a fully qualified airline captain. Captain Chin was certified as an Authorized Check Pilot for the airline on October 15th, 1947. In 1949 Art returned to Oregon. He seems to have sought work as a pilot, as suggested by his getting a second-class commercial medical on September 20th, 1950, but was apparently unsuccessful. He did land a job with the postal service, and worked there until retirement. Not long before his death Chin was asked by a newspaper reporter why he had gone. His response was “China called me.” Chin is recognized as America's first ace in World War II. A half-century after the war ended, the U.S. government recognized Chin as an American veteran by awarding him the Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medal. About a month after Chin died, on October 4th, 1997, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the American Airpower Heritage Museum in Midland, Texas as the first American ace of World War II. Chin died on September 3rd in 1997, he was 83 years old.

[beskar-cowboy]

Beneath the Ice

Part 2 of The Best Things Dwell Out of Sight Series 

Summary: Crash landed on a frozen planet, you have to wait till morning to be able to fly out again. In the mean time, you play in the snow with the Child while Mando repairs the Crest. (4k words) ao3 link here

Warnings: none actually? inspired by but no major spoilers for s2e2 (chapter 10) events besides the fact that it’s on a frozen planet lol. just tons of mutual pining with Mando, yearning, fluff and softness <3 only one part left after this and it’s actually the last one! (like part 5 lmao)

“Hey - no, wait for me!” You call after the Child who’s already waddling as fast as he can down the lowered hatch, throwing himself into the snow. 

His little giggles echo through the silent snowy air of the desolate valley that you’ve more or less just crash landed into. The air now peaceful and calm again after such a rough landing.

You hadn’t finished getting your boots on all the way and had already told the kid to wait right here, next to you and you could go outside and play together. Obviously someone was too excited by the prospect of freshly fallen snow to care too much about rules.

“He’s fine.” Mando reassures, standing next to you in the hull. There’s a certain lightness to his voice from underneath the helmet, maybe he was amused at the kid’s… childish antcis.

You roll your eyes and stand up next to him once your boots are laced up. The freezing air from outside has already drafted into the ship and you feel it down to your bones. Living on a desert planet your whole life prior to meeting Mando meant you didn’t own one single article of clothing that would be appropriate for this sort of weather.

Along this whole strange trip with Mando, you had come into possession of a few warmer pieces like some utility pants and a few shirts but still, you didn’t own thick socks, a proper coat, a scarf or anything that would help you right now. The Child seemed fine in his little onesie but you, on the other hand, were already fucking freezing.

Luckily Mando noticed that you were freezing, the way you used your hands to warm up your arms. Running them up and down the length of his long black sleeve shirt which you were wearing.

You wore it quite often, Mando hopes it's a favourite of yours or something. Even after having bought you your own clothes on Batuu over a month ago now, you still seemed to favour his old, worn black shirt. It made his stomach feel funny when he thought about that.

But he often felt funny when he thought about you for too long.

“Wait here.” Mando instructs, letting his hand rest on your shoulder briefly before walking away, deeper into the hull, to indicate that he was in fact talking to you. You could never tell, especially not with that helmet of his.

Mando returns promptly holding a long, thick material in both of his hands. One of his cowls.

“Oh, thank you.” You stammer, taking the long and surprisingly heavy fabric from him. You struggle to hold it up, trying to figure out which was the best way to wrap it around your neck or shoulders, or throw it over like a shawl-

“Let me.” He offers with slight hesitation in his voice, taking a tentative step closer to you. Your breath shakes, unable to find it within yourself to even look in his direction.

You almost squeak when he takes the cowl into his own hands, trying to find the head hole himself. You would laugh at the difficulty he’s having as well but you can barely bring yourself to remember how to breathe due to how close he’s standing to you.

Eventually he does find the head opening and loosens the hole wider for you, gently lifting it over your head. Your grasp onto the fabric, helping him guide it over and around your head. The smooth flesh of your hand glides along worn leather, his touch burning, singing marks into your skin that you don’t think you’ll ever be able to get rid of.

The material is down to your shoulders now but your head is still lost in the thick fabric, trying to find the hood so you can stick your head out and breathe some fresh air. You inhale the fabric accidentally and, oh.

It smells like him.

Of course it smells like him, it’s his fucking cowl but fuck.

It smells like Mando. And suddenly he’s everywhere, invading your senses, fogging up your brain like he just drugged you with spice and you’re a lightweight so you fall fast and you fall hard. 

Fuck why did he smell so good? He’s a bounty hunter, he shouldn’t smell so good but he does. It smells like skin, sweat and grime and blaster oil and gunpowder, the lethal combination makes you lightheaded.

You’ve never gotten this much of him all at once before. Wrapped up in something of his while his hands are on you. Fuck, you almsot forgot he was helping you put this thing on so you could go outside and play with the Child while he repaired the thrusters or whatever he had muttered about back in the cockpit when you landed.

You feel his hands touch and pull at you through the material while yours do the same, your fingers and palms bumping, grazing and touching each other every so often. Your hair gets pulled over your eyes as the cowl is swivelled and turned, all trying to get you right side up like you're drowning in water.

Mando huffs, frustrated that he can’t seem to figure out his own damn cowl. He puts this thing on everyday, how could it be this hard to put it on another person. Because it doesn’t fit you, it’s too big for you, too long, too heavy- fuck.

Realizing you had been turning in useless circles while he pulled the fabric the other way, Mando grabs both of your shoulders in his hands, steadying you. You nearly yelp at the sudden grounding touch, not knowing which way you were facing anymore from being lost in the cowl for so long. You stop your useless efforts, letting Mando take over.

You feel another tug, more gentle this time and the cowl turns and turns, pushing more hair into your eyes and suddenly, fresh air. Cool crisp air hits your face as your head awkwardly pokes out of the hoodie hole Mando has finally managed to find.

You can’t help the burst of giggles that falls from your lips. How did you both manage to make such a simple task so difficult? He could have left you to it, he could have handed it to you and then headed over to the thrusters like he knew he needed to do, like he said he would.

Your eyes squint, your cheeks scrunch up and your hair falls chaotically yet somehow fucking perfectly, framing your face as it falls out of the wide, loose hood of his cowl, caresses it in a way he wishes he could. Your plush lips stretch into a face-splitting, shit-eating grin like this is so fucking amusing to you and if Mando was anyone else in this moment, he thinks he would be laughing along with you. Fuck, he thinks he would even be kissing you right now if it weren’t for the helmet and… and. The Way. Yeah, The Way.

So you just stand there, for too many moments, too many seconds pass by where both of you just stare and smile at each other, admiring each other’s faces- well, Mando admiring your face and you trying to find his eyes behind the pitch black of his visor. Your eyes flit back and forth, searching, you land on them a couple of times and Mando has to actually stop himself from gasping from the intrusion. Your eyes pierce him, they sting and they burn and bite but they're so lovely, kind, and soft with the way you bat your lashes up at him. Like you know he’s looking and blushing like a fucking child underneath all this beskar.

“Ooooo!” The Child coos from outside in the snow, snapping both you and Mando out of whatever trance you had seemed to put each other under.

The Child rolls some snow in his hands, maybe liking the way it feels as it melts against his warm, green skin. Whatever he was trying to say, it was a painful reminder that you couldn’t just stand here and stare at Mando all day, not if you wanted to get off of this planet before you all freeze to death.

Flustered and a little embarrassed for getting caught staring at Mando, you nod at him as a way of saying ‘thanks for the giant scarf’ and turn to head outside. 

But you end up stepping on said giant scarf and your foot twists in the fabric, sending your body jolting awkwardly but a hand tight on your hip keeps you upright with too much ease. Another hand grasps onto your bicep, wrapping tightly around your limb, keeping you steady.

You see the way your breath comes out in ragged breaths thanks to the freezing air, chest heaving and cheeks blushing not just from the snow. He was touching you again. Maker, you were almost starting to believe he liked it as much as you did.

You think… you think he chuckles. So low and understated but you think you catch it from underneath his helmet which tilts to the side a bit, as if trying to get a better look at you. Or taunt you, make fun of you. You don’t have a clue, you were so bad at reading his body language, even after a month of living with him. 

Completely flustered, you say nothing, just stare up at the big, intimidating T-shape on his visor and hope he isn’t laughing at you but maybe with you.

“T-Thanks.” You stutter, feeling his thumb graze over your bicep, running the covered digit over your arm, feeling you in the slightest way possible. 

Mando nods at you, “Go play with the kid.”

Eventually being able to pull yourself away from him and secure the hood of the cowl over your head properly, you let your boots carry you through the soft and sparkly snow, towards the Child whose cheeks are flushed an adorable shade of pink.

He runs to you, an oddly shaped snowball in hand. He reaches up for you to take it from him and you thank him for such a lovely gift. He seems pleased with himself as he makes more little balls, they become rounder and rounder the more he makes and you watch endearingly before you start to make some too, adding them to his little collection.

He gets very protective of the snowballs, whining if you move them too much or if he thinks you’re going to steal one. You really have to try your hardest not to laugh because you’re not laughing at him, he’s just so weird and cute and apparently 50 years old but still clearly a baby and wow. You think you love him like you would a son and your heart thumps heavy in your chest as you spend the afternoon playing with him.

Mando watches you from where he's stationed on top of the Crest, fixing the integrity of the left thruster so that it doesn’t disintegrate when he tries to lift you all off this planet come morning time.

Maybe he even repositions himself to get a better angle of you and the kid, he tells himself he’s just keeping a watchful eye, but that excuse gets harder and harder to believe when his heart starts fucking hammering in his chest everytime he gets a glimpse of your face. The way you smile at the kid, the way your hair falls and frames your face, poking out of his cowl, begging to be pushed back behind your ear, for his hand to cup your cheek.

He likes the way you cling to it whenever there's a particularly cold gust of wind that flows through the open field, how you cover your face with it while still watching the Child, making sure he’s okay and holding him when he gets a bit cold or hurts his hand on a piece of hidden ice. Mando thinks he sees you bring the cowl up around your face one too many times, maybe you were smelling it, smelling him-

Mando burned himself a few times with his tools, by accident, from staring at you just a bit too long, losing his grip on whatever it was he was wielding together and accidentally burning his hand instead.

There was something about seeing you in his clothes that… that made him feel weird. It was this sort of fuzzy feeling in the pit of his stomach, like that feeling you get when you think you’re going to throw up but really, you’re just nervous or anxious or something. The way his heart beats heavy, different with each new pump of blood through his system, the blood travelling to less the optimal regions at the wrong moments, making him dizzy and fucking hard in his pants.

Maker, what was wrong with him? Why did seeing you in his cowl or black shirt make him feel so fucking possessive over you?

Right now, he tries to focus on how much fun you genuinely seem to be having with the kid, how easily you laugh along with him and take part in his games. Mando wonders if you had a good childhood back on your home planet, if you did normal kid things or if you missed out on most of them like he did.

Eventually it gets too dark and too cold for you to stay outside any longer, thankfully the kid doesn’t seem too upset about heading back inside to warm up. Maybe it's due to the promise of warm food and a warm belly.

You set yourselves back up in the cockpit where Mando had installed some sort of heat radiator, it had been going all day, heating the cockpit nicely but you kept the cowl on for… reasons. 

You manage to find some dried meat and bone broth in some of Mando’s cabinets, where he usually keeps his rations and snacks. You heat them up over the radiator as best as you can, you think you remember Mando getting some spices at a market on some long forgotten planet but you can’t find them anywhere. You make do with the amount of salt you managed to find instead; anything helps really. 

You hand the child his tiny little container of food once it’s warm enough but not too hot for his little palette before you climb down the ladder, placing Mando’s own plate and bowl of broth and meat before climbing back up and reaching for the hatch to call to him as he continues to work on the roof.

The hatch is heavy to pry open, you muster all the strength you can to turn the locking wheel and push it open and poke your head out the top, bombarded by whistling wind and the cool, biting kiss of the snowy air once again.

“Mando!” You yell over the strong gusts, shivering as you call his name. The helmet turns to look at you and you notice the ice forming along the hard and sharp edges of his beskar. Maker, he must be freezing under there. 

A light that he’s set up to work in the dark illuminates half of him, the other side cast into a dark shadow you can barely see, the unrelenting harsh fall of snow was no help.

Without hearing what you have to say first, he packs up his equipment and walks towards you, towards the open hatch.

“I-I put your food in your cot. Let me know if it’s not warm enough.” You try and smile at him but your face already feels frozen from the cold, cheeks and lips locked in place. He seems to nod so you just head back down the ladder and he waits for you to reenter the cockpit before heading in and closing the hatch for the night.

As you sit back down in the cockpit with the kid who’s already finished his food and begun to eat yours, you hear Mando clamber around in the main hull, probably taking off and drying his armour, taking the helmet off to eat. You hope the soup helps to warm him up.

You scold the kid lightly for eating your food but let him sit in your lap while you eat, giving him spoonfuls every now and then. You can’t say no to those big black eyes, probably an evolutionary design you think, laughing to yourself.

“You’re a little menace, you know that?” You tell him, fake scowling at him but kissing his forehead a million times over so he knows you’re only teasing. He coos and babbles in response, grabbing at your hair so you take that as a sign that he knows you mean no harm.

You wrap him up in Mando’s cowl that you still wear, letting him get cozy in your lap. With a full belly, body wrapped snugly in his little onesie and now the cowl, his big eyes become droopy, ready for bed. You wonder if Mando will come back up to sleep in the cockpit or if he’ll take the child into his cot, leaving you in here for the night.

As if on cue, the sliding doors screech at the force of being opened manually, Mando closes them behind him and turns to- to take in the sight before him.

The Child wrapped up in your-his cowl, which you still wear, still cling to like you did earlier today, like the kid does now as he seems to doze off in your lap. Your eyes are as big as ever, as sweet as ever as you look up at him by the door. Mando thinks he sees you smile at him from your spot on the floor but he quickly tries to ignore the erupting mass of butterflies in his stomach and just sit down next to you. Maybe a bit too close, he feels his shoulder graze yours ever so slightly and he has to stop himself from flinching away from you. Just a reflex, force of habit.

It only startles you a little how closely he decides to sit next to you, your thighs almost, almost grazing. You tell yourself it’s just to get the best angle on the radiator and maybe to share some body heat in whatever… no perverse way you two can manage.

“How was the soup?” You ask, your voice coming out much quieter than you intended. Maybe you were beginning to fall asleep yourself. The Child making himself so cozy on you and breathing softly was lulling you to sleep peacefully, like a purring Lothcat.

“What?” Mando had been so focused on not freaking out about sitting so close to you that he hadn’t heard a word you said.

“The soup? Was it okay? I couldn’t find any spices so I just made do with sal-”

“No. I-It was fine- it was good. Thank you.” He nods at you. You smile softly at Mando and then look back down at the kid, running your fingers over his little wrinkly forehead and then letting them travel through the thin white hairs.

He stirs at the sound of Mando’s voice, no doubt recognizing that his dad was finally back inside, available and ready to give him attention now. You smile fondly at him, watching as he manages to crawl out of your lap and towards Mando, climbing up his much harder, beskar covered thighs and snuggles himself into the space available. He manages to expertly find a gap in the beskar, a spot where the hard metal parts and he can sleep and nuzzle against Mando’s softer stomach.

Your heart.

Your heart fucking explodes as you watch Mando let him get cozy on him. You feel insane amounts of… of two different feelings. Two feelings you’re insanely embarrassed and ashamed of.

Jealousy and…. And lo-

You stand up after a moment of watching them and plan to head for the door, to head into your own cot which Mando had set up for you months ago now, just across a little hallway from the cockpit.

But Mando stops you. His hand wraps itself quickly around your wrist, halting your movements.

“Where are you going?”

“My cot?” You assumed he would want to be left alone with the Child to sleep. You knew he probably still didn't trust you that much, which you were fine with. You respected his boundaries, you knew he followed a Creed or something along those lines, either way, you didn't ask too many questions. You didn’t want to pry, so you often just assumed he would want to be left alone in most cases. Oftentimes, you were right.

“You’ll freeze.” He states plainly. Oh. “The heating system is down, damaged when we landed. W-We should all just sleep in here tonight, the radiator should keep us warm enough.”

Oh. You ignore how his voice wavers, you blame it on the cold he probably still feels in his bones. You feel it too, even now, despite the radiator. At least, you think it’s the cold.

“O-Okay.”

So you settle back down next to him, sitting closer to him than you had been previously. Maybe it was intentional. Maybe it wasn’t. You’re too tired to really think about it too much, to pinpoint if that was subconscious or not.

You snuggle into the cowl that’s still around your shoulders, pulling the hood back up over your head to get all the warmth you can. With the cowl, the radiator, and Mando’s wide body next to you, you think you’ll be okay tonight.

Mando thinks you look so fucking cute wrapped up the way you are. How you try to hide behind his cowl that he’s worn so many times, behind the material that’s done nothing but serve him in whatever terrain he’s been in. He’s never properly looked at it until you’ve worn it, until it adorned your body, resting with a hefty weight on your shoulders, wrapping around your hair. So fucking cute.

“Is the thruster okay?” You ask, deciding to break the silence, maybe just to hear his voice a little longer, wanting that deep, gravelly barione to lull you to sleep like a sweet and low song.

“It started to freeze over when the sun went d-down but…..” Mando’s voice stutters when you slouch against him, letting your head slump against his shoulder. He watches you slowly drift to sleep, eyelashes kissing your cheeks in a way… in a way he could only dream of.

“Oh… that’s good.” You say, yawning and nuzzling your head onto the hard beskar, trying to get comfortable and acting as if you’re completely unaware of what you were doing to him, like you didn’t notice how he didn’t even finish his sentence. 

“We should be able to leave in the morning.” He rasps, trying to clear his throat but it comes out so thick.

“Hmmmm.” You hum, nearly completely asleep by now, drifting off with help from the radiator and his rhythmically rising and falling chest. 

The weight of your head on his shoulder is extremely comforting, even that feels like an understatement.

This feels… too normal. Too good. It scares him how much he thinks he could get used to this, how much he wants to get used to this.

He looks down to the sleeping child in his lap, cuddled against his stomach, and then to you, peaceful at his side. How did this become his life? How did he get wrapped up in all of this?

Was it a mistake? 

Travelling with a 50 year old child and… if he was being honest, the most beautiful thing he’s ever laid eyes on, and he’s seen more than most people have at his age. 

He could so easily fuck this up, so easily endanger you, or the Child, too innocent things he’s managed to lasso into this whole fucking ordeal.

Mando pulls his cowl over the Child so that he can receive more warmth, feeling his own heart pulse when the kid snuggles into him further, letting himself get comfortable. He then tries to smoothly let his arm wrap around your back, giving you something to lean on instead of the unforgiving wall of the Crest’s cockpit. 

He doesn’t want to startle you, doesn’t want to push boundaries. He just wants to keep you warm.

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[one-boring-person]

Like Football.

John Rambo (Rambo III) x reader

Warnings: heavy violence, injury, gun use, death, blood, violence involving animals (horses), bad language, SPOILERS

Context: John and the reader take part in the horse game in the small village, before all hell breaks loose.

A/N: I love this character far too much to not write anything, and this scene in the movie is definitely one of my favourites (before all the bombing ofc) so enjoy😅 there will most definitely be more Rambo stuff in the future!

Masterlist

"I'll play." Mousa looks at John in surprise as the veteran reaches out to take the reins of a nearby horse, pulling the animal gently towards him. Beside him, I have to fight to hide my smirk, knowing John has never been one to decline a challenge like this.

"What're the rules?" He asks our guide, looking back at him as he eyes up the field of play, watching as the other men on horses race back and forth, getting ready for another round.

"You have to get the sheep and take it round. Then drop it in the circle, on the ground." Mousa explains, gesturing to the white ring chalked into the ground a little way away. 

"Why?" I butt in, already looking out for a mount of my own.

"Because there is a circle on the ground." The guide replies, appearing a little confused.

"Hm. Just like football." John responds, before swiftly climbing into the saddle and wheeling around to join in with the men.

Lifting a brow at his eagerness, I quickly locate an available horse, going over to the person holding the reins.

"Can I borrow him?" I ask politely, gesturing to the horse.

"Her. And No, women cannot play." The man frowns, looking me up and down.

"Aw, come on. Won't it be fun to watch me fall?" I roll my eyes, playing right into his old-fashioned views.

He hesitates, but eventually hands me the reins, watching sceptically as the mare follows me. Smiling sweetly at him, I take the horse a little way away, before swinging myself up into the saddle, feeling a rising sense of excitement at the familiar feeling of riding. Taking up the reins, I gently nudge the horse's sides and trot quickly over to the other riders, pulling up in the bustling crowd of rebels, just catching sight of John a little way ahead of me. Grinning to myself, I let the mare shift on the spot, her hooves pawing at the ground in anticipation, my grip on the reins loose so as not to restrict her too much, my eyes fixed on the lone rider at the opposite end of the playing field. I sit forwards slightly, legs ready to urge the horse on as the sheep's body is brandished to us, before being dropped to the floor.

Instantly, the riders around me kick their horses into action, each and every one springing forwards with a whinny, my own mare lurching into a fast canter. Exhilaration floods me as the animal moves with the crowd, my body moving in time with her as she starts pushing up against other horses, my legs knocking against the flanks of others, elbows jabbing at me. Determined, I lean forwards in the saddle, leaning over her neck as we overtake a good few of the other men, the reins cutting into my palms as I pull her to the side to ride in time with the veering group, the sheep now held aloft by some other man. Underneath me, the mare snorts, hooves pounding the sandy ground harshly as she rides up alongside the men who are currently fighting over the prize. 

A familiar grunt of exertion draws my attention momentarily to the side, where I notice John has pulled his horse up beside mine, the veteran's gaze fixed on the dangling body of the black sheep. Smirking, I dig my heels into the flanks of the mare, urging her on with a sharp sound, to which she instantly renews her speed, easily drawing up beside the current winners. The crowd is thicker here, horses crashing into me frequently, arms and legs hitting me almost painfully as the men fight over the sheep, shouting at each other in their own language, leaving me to call out to no one in particular. 

By now, however, the sheep is in reaching distance for me. Taking my feet out of the stirrups, I lean out, batting a few others out of the way as I take hold of the limp body, yanking harshly on it, pulling it from its current owner. Grinning triumphantly, I swing it out of reach, goading the mare on as she tears away from the group, a few of the faster horses running just ahead of me, some of the riders behind falling as their own mounts trip, squealing as they drop to the dust. Instantly, however, I feel riders pressing up alongside me, their hands grabbing at me as they try to wrestle the sheep from my grip, the mare suddenly rearing as a particular man yanks on her bridle.

Yelping, I can only drop the sheep and cling onto the neck of the panicking horse as she kicks out, trying to throw me off. Jeers and shouts of triumph surround me as another guy picks up the sheep, horses steaming past us as they continue the chase. After a moment, the mare drops back down, bucking gently as she calms down, only for me to make use of her excitement by digging my heels into her flank. Swiftly, she leaps forwards, racing to catch up with the other riders, where I can see John and another guy fighting for the sheep, the latter yanking on it roughly.

We are quick to catch up again, the mare darting in alongside the leaders again, jerking aside when one of the riders suddenly falls to the floor, collapsing in the dust. Too late, I realise it's John, the dark-haired veteran rolling into a ball to avoid being hit, only to swiftly scramble back upright again grabbing the fallen sheep and holding it to his chest. Other riders swarm him, grabbing and pulling at him, managing to retrieve the sheep as John gives up and finds his horse again, throwing himself into the saddle once more. Grinning at his competitive streak, I urge the mare up beside him, pushing against his horse as he finally realises I'm playing, too, his dark eyes widening slightly at the sight of me, a rare smile gracing his features momentarily. It's at that point that he sees the sheep on the floor again, having been dropped by someone else.

Leaning out of the saddle, he scoops it up, holding it to his chest protectively, out of the reach of the other men. Chuckling, I reach over and take hold of the prize, pulling it between us as our shoulders press together from the proximity, neither of us willing to give up. Riding side-by-side, the two of us make our way further down the field, other riders catching up but unable to grab the sheep, leaving us mostly to fight it out amongst ourselves. Smirking, I lean across properly, having taken my feet from the stirrups again, hooking my shoulder under his arm and pushing upwards, throwing him off balance as he fights to remain in control of his horse. With our skin pressed flushed together, I can feel a light blush dusting my cheeks, but I choose to focus instead on the knowledge I've almost won the game. 

An explosion somewhere to the north of the valley interrupts us, drawing our attention away from the game. Brilliant orange flames engulf a large area of the land a little way away, smoke roiling up from the fire, concealing the attacker from us momentarily. 

As soon as it clears slightly, the silhouettes of two Russian gunships loom into view, headed straight for the tiny village. Around us, people start to scream, men and women running here and there as they start to escape, riders on horses wheeling around to get back to safety. The sheep is forgotten, John and I simply doing as everyone else is, urging our horses on away from the approaching danger. 

Explosions erupt all around us, gunfire pelting the ground as the pilots let loose, gunning down anything that moves. Cries of pain and panic fill the air, almost lost to the sound of collapsing structures and exploding missiles, the stench of burning flesh, spilt blood and charred wood quickly creating a heady miasma in the dry air. Beneath me, the mare squeals in terror, movements uncoordinated now as she goes to bolt, racing away from the helicopters as they descend on us, John only just managing to keep up on his own horse.

A sudden explosion beside me catches the horse off-guard and she goes down, screaming in pain, throwing me off onto the solid ground. My shoulder collides harshly with the rock, drawing a grunt from me as I am forced to roll away from the blazing flames, watching in dismay as the horse staggers to its feet and limps off, clearly injured beyond repair, leaving me alone on the floor. 

Gritting my teeth, I force myself to my feet, using the smoke as cover as I duck towards a nearby structure, hiding down inside it as I wait for some clarity. My arm smarts from where it's been hit, but I ignore it, keeping my eyes trained on the hovering gunships, hatred and anger flooding me as I watch them shoot down hordes and hordes of young children and women, men and other fighters crumpling with screams of pain as the bullets tear through them. I can no longer see John, my heart skipping a beat at the thought.

Steeling myself, I look around for a solution, catching sight of a turret nearby, where a rebel has already been shot to his death, the artillery left unharmed, surprisingly. Glancing around, I deem it safe enough to move, keeping low as I sprint over to the weapon, hoping that the pilots haven't seen me yet, knowing that I can try and take one down if I can get to the turret. The going is slow, the ground having been torn up by the many bombs and gunfire, meaning I trip and stumble over almost every unseen disfigurement in the ground, my legs pumping hard to keep going. Adrenaline races through my veins, each breath coming hard and fast as I finally reach my destination, swinging myself up into position. 

As I do so, I feel someone else hop up behind me, my instincts telling me to be ready as I spin on my heels, hand going to grab my knife from my belt as I expect to meet an enemy. Instead, my eyes make contact with John's, the veteran grabbing my wrist gently as he reaches past me to take hold of the artillery gun, clearly having had the same idea as me. Stepping back slightly, I let him take the turret, noticing an automatic rifle on the floor from where the rebel dropped it. I take it up and check the magazine, glad to find it still mostly full. Cocking it, I take aim and fire at the rapidly approaching gunship, joining John as he supplies a steady volley of bullets at the looming aircraft.

Thankfully, it isn't long before the helicopter goes up in flames, the ruined skeleton falling in a ball of flames to the ground, leaving nothing but debris behind. Checking my gun, I throw it aside a I realise it has no ammo left, joining John in scoping out the next threat. 

Relief floods me as I notice that it is retreating back into the mountains, leaving piles of ruin behind, bodies littering the landscape as flames slowly go out, allowing us to see the true extent of the attack.

"Jesus Christ." I mutter, looking out over the remains.

"Ain't much of him 'round here." John replies grimly, eyeing me up and down critically, "You hurt?"

"Me? No. You?" 

"Nah." 

We hold eye contact for a few moments longer, before he suddenly reaches out and pulls me into his side, initiating an awkward half-hug. Surprised but pleasantly so, I wrap my arm around his waist, feeling his muscles tense under the thin fabric of his shirt as he squeezes my body gently. I smile up at him, glad when he returns the gesture, enjoying this softer side of him, even though I reckon I'll never see it again.

"Come on, Trautman needs us." I finally mumble, not wanting to let go but understanding the need to do so.

"Yeah, guess so."

[thelovelylolly]

Not all the same

Request (by @emilaa2001​ ) : Oh god, I loved what u did with my last request! Could you do Anakin x reader (I feel the need to specify that I want tcw Anakin, since movie one is different) where reader's parents were killed by Jedi (by accident, similar to what happened to ahsoka's friends from s7) and she doesn't trust them. However Anakin is stuck on some planet with no signal and any living inhabitants and tries to convince the reader to help him, thank u UwU, if u don't want to do it it's okay anyway ❤️❤️❤️

Summary : You were only 13 when your parents were killed by jedi, so you had to grow up doing everything yourself and surviving alone. Everyday, your hatred for jedi grew. You had a grudge against them for what they did to you, but you lived on a remote planet that was rarely visited by jedi so you couldn’t take out your anger on them. Until one day when a jedi knight became stranded near your home.

Warnings : Mentions of minor of injury, but it isn’t much. Also I used Y/N in this

Notes : First fic for Anakin!! Thank you for sending in the request!!!! Of course I’ll do it! I hope you like it

Your life, for the most part, was very quiet and peaceful. Ever since your parents were killed when you were just a teenager, you’ve learned how to survive by yourself. But they were killed by jedi, the people who were suppose to be peacekeepers and kind and protect others. You used to live on Coruscant, you were born and raised there. You planet hopped after your parents were gone until you found your current home. 

The planet was quiet, not much activity with the war and all. There was one major city but it would usually take half a day to get to from where your home was. You had a decent sized farm so you could feed yourself and sell at the market to make some credits. Your actual house was small. There was one main room with a kitchen and sitting area, a bathroom and a actual bedroom. Beside the house was a shed where you would store food, tools, weapons and more.

You had just arrived home from a day at the market in the main city, tired and ready to hit the hay. But first you had to unload your speeder and put everything away. You groaned as you unmounted your speeder and started to grab your things off of it. 

After putting your tools, weapons, and stand items away, you went inside and quickly got ready for bed. You made yourself a quick meal, changed into something a bit more comfortable then immediately went to your bedroom. In your bedroom, there was a decent sized window that faced a large field being framed by mountains. You pulled your curtains closed and turned off your lamp, slowly drifting off to sleep.

A loud noise coming from outside woke you up. You quickly opened your curtains and saw a ship wrecked in the middle of the field. You grabbed a weapon just in case, went outside and mounted your speeder, speeding off to the wreck. 

You reached the ship after a few minutes. There was a small fire near the engine but everything else was fine. You spotted the pilot in the cockpit and ran over to get them out. You pried open the cockpit and pulled the pilot out, dragging him over to your speeder. He looked like he was only knocked out with a few bruises so you loaded him onto your speeder and went back to your home.

---------------------------------------------------------

 Anakin opened his eyes slowly, blinking a few times. His head hurt and his body felt slightly sore. Last night his ship ran out of fuel mid flight and he had to crash his ship on a planet. Now he didn’t have a way to contact his master or anything. Anakin groaned and sat up, looking around. It was a small room, enough for one, with a window on the opposite wall.

You pushed the curtain that separated your room and the main area aside, some water in your hand. “You’re awake. I went to check your ship and if you go to the main city, you can get it fixed. Here’s some water.” You said, handing the man the cup.

“Thank you. How far away is the city?”

“A half day’s trip. What’s your name?”

“Anakin. You?” 

“Y/N.” You replied. A growl came from outside, causing both of you to look at the window. “Oh great.” You said sarcastically, grabbing your staff and going outside. 

Anakin followed you outside where he saw you standing in front of three weird creatures. He stepped in front of you and activated his lightsaber, the blue light and the noise scaring off the creatures. But it didn’t scare you. 

You hit Anakin in the back of the head with your staff, causing him to hit the ground. “Why did you hit me?! I was trying to protect you!”

“You’re a jedi. Your kind killed my parents.” You spat, going back inside.

“Wait, wait, wait! I didn’t kill your parents, and I’m sure the jedi who did, did it accidentally.” Anakin replied, following you inside. You pushed him back out.

“Go away. I don’t want you here. You can have fun trying to get back to your war.” 

“Please! I need your help!”

“Anakin...Anakin Skywalker right? The supposed chosen one and fantastic pilot? I think you can fix your ship yourself.” You said, leaning against your door frame.

“Please. I’ll do anything for some help.” Anakin begged. You looked at him and rolled your eyes.

“Fine. But I’m not gonna be nice.” You said.

---------------------------------------------------------

You actually found some tools in your shed and the two of you went over to Anakin’s ship. The two of you began working on repairing the ship in silence.

“Were your parents good people?” Anakin asked out of nowhere.

You sighed. “Yes, they were so caring and kind. I watched them get killed. A jedi was deflecting some blaster bolts and two of them hit my parents.”

“I’m so sorry. My...my mother died in my arms.”

“And your dad?”

“Never knew him, or had one. My mother said the force gave me to her.” Anakin answered. Silence sat between you two again, focusing on the job at hand. It wasn’t much work, just some rewiring and other things.

Until you heard speeders approaching. You and Anakin turned around and saw some bandits park their speeders a few feet away. “Looks like we struck a deal, a ship to loot and what looks like a fight.” One said.

Anakin stood between you and the bandits, igniting his lightsaber. “And a jedi? Today just keeps getting better and better!” The bandit from before added.

“Leave us alone. We’re just trying to fix my ship, this is none of your business.” Anakin said.

“You made it our business when you crashed in our valley, pal.” Another bandit spoke up.

“This isn’t your valley. I’m the only one who lives here, if you have a problem you can bring it to me.” You chimed in, readying your staff for a fight. The bandits laughed at you while pulling their blasters out. 

“You have a staff, we have blasters! What are you gonna do?” 

“This.” You said, jumping into action. You ran past Anakin and started to attack the bandits, using your staff to hit the blasters out of their hands. The other bandits started to shoot at you, causing Anakin to block the blaster bolts with his saber. You pressed your backs together, fighting off the bandits.

Eventually, the bandits ran away. You cheered in victory, laughing and giving Anakin a hug. Anakin hugged you back, deactivating his lightsaber and placing it on his belt. You came to your senses and pulled away.

“Umm, sorry. Your ship should be ready to go, just enough fuel to fly a little bit more.”

“My commanding ship shouldn’t be too far away, I should be fine. Thank you, for all the help.” 

“No problem. Maybe....maybe not all jedi are the same. I’m sorry for holding my grudge against you, even though you did nothing but be nice to me.”

“It’s fine, I understand your anger.” Anakin smiled at you, causing you to smile back.

“You should crash here more often, it gives me something to do.” You said, causing you two to laugh.

“Maybe I will.” Anakin replied, getting into the cockpit of his ship. As he took off, you waved until he couldn’t see you. You watched the ship leave the atmosphere then began to walk back home.

[snarwor]

moon and old stars - chapter 9

holy shit it’s been awhile huh. no warnings for this one <3

Masterlist | Read on AO3

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Din thought about frost a bit too much.

It made almost no sense. Navarro was a lava planet, sulfuric and burning in dangerous pools less than a klick outside of city limits. His missions took him through the hottest damn planets. One of his only memories of his childhood was whining at the cold, and feeling the heavy weight of his father’s jacket settling around his shoulders. Heat and warmth and weight, that was love.

Of course, the exception to this was the blurrg which had fallen on him on Arvala-7, which was hot and heavy and smelly.

But Grogu, the kid. He weighed barely anything and was no warmer than perhaps a Loth-cat, and yet the weight which had settled over Din the moment he’d shot IG-11, the warmth which had filled his bones when that little hand had reached out for him, it was unlike anything he’d experienced before.

Crash landing on the ice planet with Mrs. Frog and the kid had been an exercise in fear, in hopelessness, in compartmentalization. The Crest was damaged beyond reasonable repair, there was a very odd biological imperative happening, there were karking ice spiders, yet the thing that filled Din with the most dread had been the cold. It seeped in and leached the warmth and hope from his bones, staining his beskar with ice, splintering like cracks in stone. False fissures.

When they'd managed to get to the atmosphere again, he joked about all of them dying in the harsh vacuum of space, and it didn’t even register until they’d hit the balmy surface of Trask. He’d made light of an icy, deadly situation, which was, at its core, supposed to be heavy and blood-hot. He’d been horrified when he realized.

He remembered listening to Omera speak on Sorgan about the history of the valley they lived in, how everything had been ice thousands and thousands of years ago, a massive glacier which melted and froze and melted and froze until an entire mountain had split in two. Din couldn’t believe it, but when he’d gotten back on the holonet, he looked up the phenomenon, and marveled at how cold destruction could bring such an idyllic sanctuary.

He began to see signs of it all over his travels. Ancient canyons with split boulders, once-whole halves laying cleaved by no tool made by man or machine. Din told the kid his findings. “Frost did this. Water gets in everywhere, it settles deep and when the cold hits, that water expands, and breaks things if it’s lucky enough.” Of course, the kid only paid attention when he had dried meat rations in his hand, but he liked to think he was paying attention at least some of the time.

His sanity had sprung a leak on Morak. Boba Fett had taken an ax to that leak and filled every splintered part of him with water until he felt like he was near drowning. His first gasp of air was on the armchair at the safe house, when they had been the only people in the entire galaxy. The shame was his heart’s first winter after the flood. The setup on the Lothal moon was an early spring snowstorm. The safe house had been a mild summer. The water had not left him. But when they boarded the ship, when they fought the Dark troopers, when…

Don’t be afraid.

That had been such a shock to his system that all that latent love and affection in him, feelings left dormant and misunderstood in the abscesses of his heart, froze. It was so cataclysmic he couldn’t even hear himself think over the groaning heave of his every canyon and valley. He was broken. He could not be put back together at all. And when Boba had said those five words, the frost started to melt, sure, but the cracks and chasms remained, evidence of a too-cold climate for anything like love to grow in.

Unless.

The melting sensation Boba had given him, the weight and warmth Din had always associated with love, perhaps it had been as natural as a cleaved boulder, but thaw had been intentional as well. It wasn’t Boba’s fault for the freeze in his heart. It wasn’t Boba’s fault he had existing cracks in his foundation. But he’d cleaned up the aftermath, several times over, taken his broken pieces and patched them together, said “I know you’re not whole, but I love you just the same” with every soft pass of a hand over his hair. With every pleasured moan he drew from Din’s lips. With every suspended second their gazes held, and every gentle press of a kiss, Din realized that the crags in his heart had smoothed over in places, didn’t hurt him as much as they had before. It wasn’t Boba’s fault for this new fissure, and here Din was, cutting the man on his own broken edges.

“Why didn’t you let her just kill me when she had the chance?!”

And still.

“Din—”

And still.

“No. Tell me why.”

And still.

“Because I love you, Din.”

The words sat in the air between them like a physical thing, an old moon in orbit, waiting to see if the shooting star would strike it down or warm it back. The last words his mother had said to him, before she was gone forever. He’d always understood that love wasn’t something to be volleyed back and forth, love wasn’t supposed to be expected or returned, not the true love his mother had given, and not the shy, defeated love Boba was giving him now.

And still.

“I love you, too.”

Boba let out a shuddering breath, half a laugh, and a single tear. “Then you understand why I couldn’t let you go.”

Love could look selfish, but it never felt selfish. At least not to Din. He let go of the bottle, and hung his head in his hands instead. The familiar shame of crying in front of Boba washed over him, and as his shoulders shook, he mourned that freeze a little, because he could at least pretend he was solid when it was there. Not now, though. Not now.

With hesitation, Boba’s arm wrapped around the slumped line of his shoulders. Without hesitation, Din leaned into it. “He’s gone,” Din rasped.

Boba made a noise he probably hadn’t meant to before the other arm came up to pull Din into his lap, curl him up small and safe. With the beskar, he was much heavier, and less kind on his aching body, but Boba bore his weight without complaint. “Not gone, just somewhere else,” Boba said, stroking a hand over Din’s head in a well-practiced motion they’d perfected since Morak. “I’ll...” The promise sat on the tip of his tongue. “If you really want him back, I can help you find him.”

Din shook his head, cried out and drained. “You don’t have to,” he said softly. “Your debt to me is paid, you don’t—”

“I don’t offer this to you out of a sense of obligation. I don’t offer any of myself to you for that. Maybe once, but certainly not now, jat’ika.”

The name hurt Din like a punch to the gut. The objection sat behind his lips like a fathier at the starting gate. He lifted his head so their eyes could meet again. Openness sat in Boba’s expression, and Din realized, all at once, that the two of them had really changed in those soft weeks between Tython and here. Without breaking eye contact, he brought his hand up to cup the back of Boba’s neck, and leaned in to press their foreheads together. A stuttering breath left Boba’s chest, a flash of that softness Din didn’t often see in him.

“I’m sorry,” Din said. “For what I said about your father.”

“You were upset,” Boba hedged. Din shook his head, only a little, as to not break the mirshmure’cya too fast.

“It doesn’t excuse it. I won’t say anything like that again. Forgive me, please.”

“I understand,” Boba said, bringing his own hand up to touch the apple of Din’s cheek. “It’s forgiven. Don’t catastrophize a mistake, Din.”

Din couldn’t help but laugh, a little. “Catastrophize.”

“Exactly,” Boba said, returning the smile. “Do you need to talk some more? Are you injured from the mission?”

This time, Din hedged, “Cuts and bruises, rattled my brain fighting a darktrooper, nothing huge.” Boba leveled him with an unimpressed look. “If it bothered me, I would have taken care of it.”

“Forgive me if I don’t quite believe you can take care of yourself.”

“Hoverskiff daddying, are we?” Din asked, a smirk on his mouth that both endeared and infuriated Boba in equal doses. Boba leaned back to press a smacking kiss to Din’s forehead.

“Show you daddying. C’mon, up. We’ll talk while we get you patched up.”

As Boba removed the armor from Din’s body, the weight which pulled at Din’s conscience followed suit. He felt able to take a full breath of air again, letting Boba smear bacta on his cuts and bruises, like every breath got easier than the last. Boba made him laugh, made him smile and forget he was ever frozen, forget he was ever broken and jagged and rough-edged. And when Boba mentioned the kid, the memories came with an ache, but no sharp pain. He would have permission to grieve, later. He knew that much. But for now, they reveled in the feeling of being alive after another difficult day, a unique sensation to the two that felt more familiar than coming home ever had.

“Your helmet.” Boba finally reached that topic, which predictably pulled a sigh and a downcast expression from Din’s face.

“I broke the Creed on Morak. And again, on the cruiser.” He left out the moments with Boba specifically. You are not of a Creed you can disappoint while in here. The only truth is that you are mine.

“You were saying goodbye to your son. I know men who would raze whole planets to the ground for the chance. It’s an honorable thing, what you did. Not a dishonorable one.” Din can’t make himself believe it in its entirety, not really.

“But the armor—”

“You told me once I’d have to peel your armor off your dead body. Yet I had to, to patch your wounds, give you comfort.”

They looked at the pile in the corner, gleaming beskar and worn padding which had protected Din for years. Clearly, he wasn’t dead, and yet, the armor went. Boba continued.

“And that to hand mine over to me was against the Creed. Until the more honorable realization was proven, you were returning it to me.”

Ret’urcye mhi. How funny that goodbye sounds like return to me.

“Your helmet was in the way of protecting your foundling, until it was not. Ke’juri beskar’gam, but not at the expense of k’ara’novo aliit, nor ke’gaa’tayli aliit bralir, nor ke’ba’juri sa Mando’ade.” Din felt the tears fall, but did not look away. “You are no less Mandalorian for making the decisions you did. In fact, you are perhaps more suited to hold that saber because of it.” He took Din’s hands. “You have protected and cared for your family. One of your aliit is learning what you could not teach. Your son is Mandalorian because he is yours.”

“Then why do I feel so guilty?” Din asked, his chest jumping a little in a hiccup, eyes shining with yet-unshed tears. Boba brought his hands up to kiss at their knuckles.

“It’s not guilt. It’s grief. We carry it differently, but it does not make us. The same as our armor. It is something we wear, something sacred, but it is not the armor who protects a son.”

Din fell into his arms, pressing grateful kisses to Boba’s mouth, his face. Tears of relief, not shame, not guilt, fell across his cheeks and smeared onto Boba’s skin, but he didn’t mind. His soul was still redeemable, he was still an upright man, deserving of salvation and absolution, deserving of the love which patched him together.

He realized he was speaking. “I love, I love—”

“I know, I know,” Boba repeated, not in a volley, but letting Din know his love had somewhere safe and soft to land.

And that it always would.

---------------------------------

Mando'a - Translation

jat'ika - y'all should know this one by now mirshmure'cya - Keldabe kiss, soft headbutt for emotion, or apply forcefully for stronger emotion ret'urcye mhi - see you again, goodbye aliit - family, clan

Tenets of the Resol'nare (Mandalorian Creed) mentioned in m&os ke'juri beskar'gam - you will wear armor k'ara'novo aliit - you will protect family ke'gaa'tayli aliit bralir - you will help your clan succeed ke'ba'juri sa Mando'ade - you will raise Mandalorians

Other Tenets not mentioned because they don't make me cry as much ke'jorhaa'i Mando'a - you will speak Mando'a ke'shekemi haar Mand'alor - you will rally to the cause of the Mand'alor